
Latest
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AI-generated abandonware is hollowing out open source
When everyone can build, the scarce resource becomes maintainers.
Editor’s picks
What is a staff engineer? Technical leaders who aren’t managers
Staff engineers are technical leaders who have deep domain knowledge, walking the line between tech and the business.

New York • September 8 & 9, 2027
Loved LDX3 New York? Pre-sale tickets for 2027 are now available.
Essential reading
On our StaffPlus playlist
How to master the four Staff archetypes and elevate your impact
While the specifics of the job can vary widely, Will Larson has famously categorized the Staff+ experience into four archetypes: Tech Lead, Architect, Solver, and the Right Hand.
Understanding the role as a Staff engineer
How to define, develop and deliver in your role on the technical track.
How to balance technical direction and leadership work
But as is often the case in business, priorities constantly shift and where you focus your efforts will too. So how do you strike the right balance between working on the technical direction of the business and those tasks that require you to put your leadership hat on?
Start with an exit in mind: How to be effective by being selfish as a staff engineer
Staff engineers often get overwhelmed by long-term ownership of critical projects. This talk explores how to avoid burnout by starting every project with an exit strategy—whether transferring ownership, pausing or bootstrapping a team.


The festival for modern engineering leadership
New York • September 15 & 16, 2026
More for Staff engineers
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Put an end to being the “go-to” engineer
Being the individual people run to in a fire may feel great short-term, but the negative effects can pile up.
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Staff+ engineers are the key to AI adoption
As the organizational glue, staff+ engineers are best placed to bring in successful AI adoption.
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The cost of skipping hard conversations (and how to have them)
How avoidance can create to leadership debt.
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What to do when you have a bad manager
The best way to deal with a bad manager is to meet them where they are.
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New study suggests major productivity boost when using Cursor’s coding agent
Is this the massive productivity benefit we’ve been waiting for?
Videos for Staff engineers
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Tracking repository health at scale
Discover how data-driven repository health tracking improves visibility, drives behavior change, and aligns engineering efforts with long-term business goals.
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How Monzo tolerates full cloud outages
Learn how Monzo built a fully independent backup bank to ensure 24/7 reliability—even during full cloud outages
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Becoming AI engineers
Discover how to build reliable, high-impact AI features—tools, patterns, and team practices that make AI integration truly transformative
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Monolith-ifying perfectly good microservices
Learn why consolidating microservices into a Rails monolith boosted performance, reduced complexity, and helped Intercom scale more efficiently
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How to make the perfect decision
Master decision-making in software architecture with frameworks that drive alignment, reduce risk, and deliver meaningful, context-aware outcomes
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In partnership with VercelHow to maintain a codebase – when everyone can code
Learn how to maintain platform performance with machine-first observability, enabling AI agents to monitor and repair production systems.
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Navigating LLM Deployment: Tips, tricks, and techniques
Unlock best practices for deploying self-hosted LLMs—optimize performance, ensure reliability, and tackle real-world challenges in critical industries
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Organizational evolution: From products to user needs
A practical guide to evolving an engineering organization from functional to product-based to user-centric – rooted in real experiences at Flo Health.
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One does not simply… rebuild a product
Get hard-won insights from Culture Amp’s bold rebuild—reviving legacy systems while elevating engineering standards and enabling future growth
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Everything you always wanted to know about game engines
Learn how to leverage game engines like Unity and Unreal to accelerate innovation in AI, robotics, simulation, and beyond
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A quick tour of delivery management (and why it matters)
What senior leaders mean by “delivery management,” why it matters, and how to improve it with practical tools and techniques.
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From autocomplete to agents: AI coding assistance state of play
Everybody wants high reliability, but the path isn’t exactly clear. This talk is for people who need to know what works and what doesn’t.



