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Newsletter archive
AI agents and the missing link in DevOps
AI agents aren’t just assistants anymore – they’re making decisions. Are engineers ready for the shift or are they just too skeptical?
Carving out time for large-scale engineering chores
Determine what to prioritize, set out a path, and be prepared for some hiccups along the way.
Encouraging a passion for productivity
In this edition of DirectorPlus, Neha Batra, VP of Engineering at GitHub, explains how she creates a culture of productivity.
Framing AI rollouts in the right light
How can you introduce AI into teams in a way that doesn’t invite unrest within your org? It starts with presenting it in the right light.
Latest
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Think the technical interview is dead? Think again
The technical interview is evolving as AI-assisted coding becomes the norm.
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The latest tech layoffs have all the hallmarks of AI washing
Looking closer at the latest Block and Atlassian layoffs.
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AI adoption has to be driven from the top
Not by mandate, but clear leadership and guidance over why AI is being adopted.
New York • September 8 & 9, 2027
Loved LDX3 New York? Pre-sale tickets for 2027 are now available.
Essential reading
What is a Director of Engineering? The glue keeping engineering together
A director of engineering is responsible for keeping an entire engineering function humming. Find out what skills you need to climb the ladder to this vital position.
On our DirectorPlus playlist
Strategies to hone commercial awareness and drive business outcomes
Learn effective strategies for enhancing commercial awareness in tech teams, turning engineering into a business driver through alignment, impactful initiatives, and stakeholder engagement.
The path from Director to CTO: How to follow it, or how to mentor it
This talk is aimed at both aspiring Chief Technology Officers and those who are in a position to mentor future CTOs. Explore the journey from a Director of Engineering role to a CTO, focusing on the skills and experiences needed for this transition and how experienced leaders can guide others on this path.
Making the manager of manager’s mindset
Suzan Bond covers the difference between the two roles and the key mindset shifts leaders need to make to manage managers.
The festival for modern engineering leadership
New York • September 15 & 16, 2026
More for managers of managers
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The quickly evolving role of QA
In fast-paced software development environments, the way you think about quality assurance needs to change.
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DEI is under threat, can you fight back?
Corporate DEI initiatives may be on life support, but there are steps progressive leaders can take to keep them on track and improve the health of their organizations.
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What UK engineering managers can expect to earn in 2025
Here’s what senior developers and engineering managers in the UK can expect to earn in 2024 and beyond.
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Breaking down the WordPress drama
A dispute has riven the WordPress community in half, how does this impact developers?
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How to craft a realistic technology roadmap
Technology roadmaps are difficult things to navigate. Having a realistic approach can save you a lot of time and energy.
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How do I progress without a clear career ladder?
Help! As a new Director, it’s unclear what’s expected of me.
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Use 1:1s to develop engineering managers reporting to you
As a manager of managers, these meetings are vital for getting the most from your reports.
Videos for managers of managers
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In partnership with UnblockedYour agents lack context: Here’s how to fix “You’re absolutely right!”
Learn how to build the context layer AI agents need to produce organization-aware, permission-safe, genuinely useful code.
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Mentoring that actually changes careers
A practical, human take on mentoring that actually helps people grow, by sharing real experience and honest guidance.
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Inclusive leadership across cultures: Practical patterns for global engineering teams
Concrete, repeatable patterns for leading global teams across cultures, reducing friction, building trust, and helping diverse voices contribute fully.
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Things fall apart – Architecture to avoid progressive collapse
How to design systems so small failures stay contained, preventing cascading outages and large-scale architectural collapse.
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What does innovation really mean? And how did Games Engineering navigate through it as a “startup” within Netflix
Learn how embracing paradoxes, discovery-driven learning, and integrative decisions enabled collaboration and unlocked innovation at Netflix.
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Hold on, let me prompt that
Explore how to lead with clarity and conviction in the GenAI era, balancing powerful tools with authentic, independent thinking.
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LLMs: An operator’s view
Explore a pragmatic approach to using LLMs to boost team productivity, enhance products, and evolve your leadership strategy.
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Leveling up engineers in an AI-driven world
Learn how to mentor junior engineers in an AI-driven world by reinforcing core skills and balancing AI-assisted workflows.
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Painless compliance, and a thousand audits a day
Turn compliance into code: automate audits, integrate with CI/CD, and achieve painless, continuous, zero-drama compliance.
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What if I don’t want to climb?
Rethink career growth by exploring how non-linear paths, flexible frameworks, and exploration-first mindsets create stronger, more inclusive teams.
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In partnership with EppoFrom evals to experiments: How to ship successful AI initiatives by failing cheaply
Discover practical ways to blend qualitative evals with quantitative experiments to reduce risk, improve learning speed, and deliver impactful AI projects.
