book

The Staff Engineer's Path

by Tanya Reilly

September 2022

Intermediate to advanced

356 pages

10h 6m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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Two PathsThe Pillars of Staff EngineeringPart I: The Big PicturePart II: ExecutionPart III: Leveling UpO’Reilly Online LearningHow to Contact UsAcknowledgments
What Even Is a Staff Engineer?Why Do We Need Engineers Who Can See the Big Picture?Why Do We Need Engineers Who Lead Projects That Cross Multiple Teams?Why Do We Need Engineers Who Are a Good Influence?Enough Philosophy. What’s My Job?You’re Not a Manager, but You Are a LeaderYou’re in a “Technical” RoleYou Aim to Be AutonomousYou Set Technical DirectionYou Communicate Often and WellUnderstanding Your RoleWhere in the Organization Do You Sit?What’s Your Scope?What Shape Is Your Role?What’s Your Primary Focus?Aligning on Scope, Shape, and Primary FocusIs That Your Job?To Recap
Uh, Did Anyone Bring a Map?A Locator Map: You Are HereA Topographical Map: Learning the TerrainA Treasure Map: X Marks the SpotClearing the Fog of WarThe Locator Map: Getting PerspectiveSeeing BiggerThe Topographical Map: Navigating the TerrainRough TerrainUnderstanding Your OrganizationWhat Points of Interest Are on Your Map?Keeping Your Topographic Map Up to DateIf the Terrain Is Still Difficult to Navigate, Be a BridgeThe Treasure Map: Remind Me Where We’re Going?Chasing Shiny ThingsTaking a Longer ViewIf the Treasure Map Is Still Unclear, It Might Be Time to Draw a New OneYour Personal JourneyTo Recap
The Scenario: SockMatcher Needs a PlanWhat’s a Vision? What’s a Strategy?What’s a Technical Vision?What’s a Technical Strategy?Do You Really Need Vision and Strategy Documents?The ApproachEmbrace the Boring IdeasJoin an Expedition in ProgressGet a SponsorChoose Your Core GroupSet ScopeMake Sure It’s AchievableMake It OfficialThe WritingThe Writing LoopMake DecisionsGet Aligned and Stay AlignedCreate the Final DraftThe LaunchMake It OfficialKeep It FreshCase Study: SockMatcherApproachThe WritingThe LaunchTo Recap
Doing All the ThingsTimeFinite TimeHow Busy Do You Like to Be?projectqueue.pop()?Resource ConstraintsYour DashboardE + 2S + ...?Bin packingChoosing ProjectsEvaluating a ProjectWhat are you signing on for?Questions to Ask Yourself About ProjectsWhat If It’s the Wrong Project?ExamplesDefend Your TimeTo Recap
The Life of a ProjectThe Start of a ProjectIf You’re Feeling Overwhelmed…Building ContextGiving Your Project StructureDriving the ProjectExploringClarifyingDesigningCodingCommunicatingNavigatingTo Recap
The Project Isn’t Moving—Should It Be?You’re Stuck in TrafficBlocked by Another TeamBlocked by a DecisionBlocked by a Single $%@$% Button ClickBlocked by a Single PersonBlocked by Unassigned WorkBlocked by a Huge Crowd of PeopleYou’re LostYou Don’t Know Where You’re All GoingYou Don’t Know How to Get ThereYou Don’t Know Where You StandYou Have Arrived…Somewhere?But It’s Code Complete!It’s Done but Nobody Is Using ItIt’s Built on a Shaky FoundationThe Project Just Stops HereTo Recap

What Does It Mean to Do a Good Job?But I Don’t Want to Be a Role Model!What Does It Mean to Do a Good Job as a Senior Engineer?Be CompetentKnow ThingsBe Self-AwareHave High StandardsBe ResponsibleTake OwnershipTake ChargeCreate CalmRemember the GoalRemember There’s a BusinessRemember There’s a UserRemember There’s a TeamLook AheadAnticipate What You’ll Wish You’d DoneExpect FailureOptimize for Maintenance, Not CreationCreate Future LeadersTo Recap
Good InfluenceScaling Your Good InfluenceAdviceIndividual AdviceScaling Your Advice to a GroupBeing a CatalystTeachingIndividual TeachingScaling Your Teaching to a GroupBeing a CatalystGuardrailsIndividual GuardrailsScaling Your Guardrails to a GroupBeing a CatalystOpportunityIndividual OpportunitiesScaling Your Opportunities to a GroupBeing a CatalystTo Recap
Your CareerWhat’s Important to You?Where Are You Going?What Do You Need to Invest In?Your Current RoleFive Metrics to Keep an Eye OnCan You Get What You Want from Your Role?Should You Change Jobs?Paths from HereKeep Doing What You’re DoingWork Toward PromotionWork LessChange TeamsBuild a New SpecialtyExploreTake a Management RoleTake on Reports for the First TimeFind or Invent Your Own NicheDo the Same Job for a Different EmployerChange Employers and Go Up a LevelChange Employers and Go Down a LevelSet Up Your Own StartupGo IndependentChange CareersPrepare to ResetYour Choices MatterTo Recap

Overview

For years, companies have rewarded their most effective engineers with management positions. But treating management as the default path for an engineer with leadership ability doesn't serve the industry well--or the engineer. The staff engineer's path allows engineers to contribute at a high level as role models, driving big projects, determining technical strategy, and raising everyone's skills.

This in-depth book shows you how to understand your role, manage your time, master strategic thinking, and set the standard for technical work. You'll read about how to be a leader without direct authority, how to plan ahead to make the right technical decisions, and how to make everyone around you better, while still growing as an expert in your domain.

By exploring the three pillars of a staff engineer's job, Tanya Reilly, a veteran of the staff engineer track, shows you how to:

Take a broad, strategic view when thinking about your work
Dive into practical tactics for making projects succeed
Determine what "good engineering" means in your organization

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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9781098118723Errata Page

The Staff Engineer's Path

by Tanya Reilly

Overview

Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.

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