Software Development Superstream: The Path to Staff Engineer

Schedule

The time frames are only estimates and may vary according to how the class is progressing.

Introduction – Sam Newman (5 minutes)

Sam Newman welcomes you to the Software Development Superstream.

Nicky Wrightson and Sam Newman Fireside Chat (35 minutes)

Sam and Nicky will weigh in with their views and observations on what it really takes to get to a staff+ role. They’ll discuss what the role requires over and above deep technical expertise and help you understand the shift from individual contributor to enabling others and driving impact at scale. They’ll also dig into the common pitfalls engineers face both in reaching for and thriving at this level, the changes you’ll experience once you’re in the role, and what staff+ excellence looks like in practice.

Setting Goals as a Staff+ Engineer – Sabrina Leandro (35 minutes)

Principal engineer Sabrina Leandro offers advice on how to map your development as a staff+ engineer, what you should be working on and how to set goals, define your backlog of work, and track your progress toward engineering leadership on the individual contributor track.

Break (5 minutes)

Shine Bright as an IC: Growing Yourself As Your Company Grows – Suhail Patel (35 minutes)

Suhail Patel, principal engineer at Monzo, shares his insights into how individual contributors in fast-growing tech companies can take charge of their professional growth. Senior roles like staff+ and principal engineer require more than technical expertise. Enhancing one’s profile and building influence requires developing strong communication and strategic thinking skills and ably navigating organizational challenges. Whether you're early in your career or aiming to advance, you’ll gain some pointers on how to grow alongside your company.

Hearing and Being Heard: Getting the Entire Team to Speak – Daniel Ward (35 minutes)

Many of us have been on teams in which the same few people speak at every meeting, while others rarely speak at all. We may fall into one of those categories ourselves. Research has shown that uneven communication in a team indicates lower performance. Daniel Ward, a Microsoft .NET MVP and software consultant, discusses this lopsided dynamic, the effect it can have on team performance, and practical actions that encourage everyone to participate, regardless of their role.

Break (5 minutes)

Staff Engineer Interviewing Expectations and Challenges – Krys Flores (35 minutes)

Ready to make the leap to staff engineer and beyond? Krys Flores, staff software engineer at Crunchyroll, helps you navigate the transition to staff-level roles by focusing on career strategies and real-world expectations. Gain insight into current industry trends, learn how to identify the right companies and roles to pursue, and understand how to fine-tune your resume to increase its impact. You’ll learn what to expect in staff engineering interviews, including common questions, preparation techniques, and how to showcase leadership and problem-solving at scale.

Nail the Pitch and Stick the Landing – Ei-Nyung Choi (35 minutes)

Engineering teams often understand exactly why their velocity has slowed. Developer frustration, buggy releases, and difficulty making small changes point to deeper technical debt. The challenge is convincing management to prioritize the necessary work. Ei-Nyung Choi, former senior staff engineer at Slack, shares lessons from her successful pitch for a major refactoring effort during an internationalization project and how her team of four ultimately cut development time by around 65% and improved overall code clarity.

Closing Remarks – Sam Newman (5 minutes)

Sam Newman closes out today’s event.