Advice

There are so many stories of hiring a new executive who comes in and wreaks havoc. I’ve seen engineering leaders start with a giant, doomed migration, marketing leaders who accelerate expenses until they necessitate a round of layoffs, and a number of executives fired in their first month. When people tell these stories, it’s almost always framed as a failure of the individual executives, but they happen so frequently that I believe there’s an underlying structural challenge in addition to individual missteps.

When I was promoted to Dev Team Lead, I was in over my head. I learned quickly. Read the 8 things that I was someone had told me when I was promoted.

I've been involved in spacecraft and space systems design and development for my entire career, including teaching the senior-level capstone spacecraft design course, for ten years at MIT and now at the University of Maryland for more than three decades. These are some bits of wisdom that I have gleaned during that time, some by picking up on the experience of others, but mostly by screwing up myself. I originally wrote these up and handed them out to my senior design class, as a strong hint on how best to survive my design experience… —

In this episode, we ask whether technology is making us redundant; will we all soon be replaced with AI? Vitaly Friedman talks to Tejas Kumar to find out.

As Justin Dauer contends in this excerpt from his latest book, In Fulfillment: A Designer’s Journey, being willing to evolve is the hallmark of a good designer.

Be aware of your surroundings in new situations to avoid traps

Lessons in onboarding to a new job

Six simple lessons to help you get started

A new breed of design leaders can help companies unleash the business value of design.

A look at the past, present, and future of tech debt.

In today’s fast-paced corporate landscape, most highly experienced leaders entering an organization are driven by a desire to make a significant impact and drive meaningful change. However, the approach they adopt in championing new ideas becomes the differentiating factor between success and failure. Unfortunately, when faced with resistance, some leaders become frustrated and disengaged or even choose to leave the organization. Affecting lasting change is not a solitary quest, but an inherently shared effort. It requires embracing a collaborative mindset that respects and includes diverse perspectives, maintains a strategic focus, and patiently navigates the complexities of organizational dynamics. It’s not about surrendering your passion or advocacy but leveraging them in a more inclusive, strategic, and ultimately effective way. The author recommends shifting your mental model from that of a crusader to that of a collaborative leader.