Navigating senior, tech lead, and staff engineer positions at tech companies and startups
When you are starting out as a developer, it is easy to believe that hard work alone will take you straight to the top. Write solid code, fix a few bugs, maybe throw in a late-night deployment or two, and you are golden. Right? Not quite.
In this refreshingly honest and practical book, a seasoned developer-turned-manager reflects on their own career journey, including the sting of being passed over for a promotion without a clear reason. That frustrating experience became the motivation to do things differently – to offer the kind of guidance, mentorship, and support they once wished they had. The result was a team that grew stronger, smarter, and got promoted for the right reasons.
This book distills years of experience coaching developers at every level, from junior engineers to senior leaders. It is structured like a career ladder, giving you targeted advice based on where you are now or where you want to go next.
The six parts of the book are:
Part 1: Developer Career Fundamentals – key lessons for every stage
Part 2: The Competent Software Developer – building real-world technical and professional skills
Part 3: The Well-Rounded Senior Engineer – combining technical depth with cross-team influence
Part 4: The Pragmatic Tech Lead – managing code, people, and priorities
Part 5: Role Model Staff and Principal Engineers – driving high-leverage impact and setting the standard
Part 6: Conclusion – lasting principles for long-term growth
You will gain insight into both “soft” skills like communication, collaboration, and influence, and “hard” skills like system design, technical execution, and architectural thinking. These become more critical as you progress in your career.
Whether you are just beginning or eyeing your next big move, this book offers a thoughtful and practical roadmap to becoming the kind of developer who does more than just write code – you build trust, lead effectively, and leave a meaningful impact.