Latest
-
Lessons learned launching an MCP server
Steps you can follow if you’re thinking about launching your own MCP server.
-
In partnership with Uplevel
Measure first, migrate later: Lessons from a 230% velocity boost
Matt Buckley, VP of Engineering at Avalara, shares how his team used data to modernize legacy deployment processes.
-
In partnership with HoneycombHow to understand the value of your code
Using observability tools to code with your eyes open.
Editor’s picks
October 15-17, 2025
New York is almost here. Book your spot today.
Essential reading
How to build an effective technical strategy
Building a tech strategy requires a lot of moving parts. Learn about what routes to take and whether decisions should be top-down.
On our Technical Direction playlist
Modernizing legacy systems: A technical strategy for evolving monoliths into modern architectures at HelloFresh
Gain insights into transforming legacy systems into scalable architectures, with practical strategies for balancing stability, managing technical debt, and enabling growth opportunities at HelloFresh.
Technical Vision vs. Technical Strategy: The difference and why it matters
Jonathan Maltz digs into the nuts and bolts of setting a successful technical strategy. Startin by talking about the difference between technical vision and technical strategy.
How to implement platform engineering at scale
In this webinar, we’ll hear from enterprise engineering leaders who’ve overcome cultural barriers and team silos, and successfully adopted platform engineering practices in their orgs.
Good technical debt
Jon Thornton discusses how this framework was used to rapidly build and ship Squarespace’s Email Campaigns product in less than 15 months. Along the way, you’ll get several practical guidelines for how tech debt can supercharge your technical investments.
Creating, defining, and refining an effective tech strategy
Having a defined tech strategy creates alignment and keeps everyone on the same page. So how can you ensure yours is most effective? Panelists Anna Shipman, Randy Shoup, Papanii Nene Okai, Nimisha Asthagiri and Anand Mariappan share their tips.
Agendas for New York events are live!
Lineup includes Addy Osmani, Kevin Goldsmith, Robin Bonatesta, and more…
New York • October 15 & 16, 2025
More about Technical Direction
-
OpenAI explains how they scaled ChatGPT
Ahead of his talk at LeadDev West Coast in October, OpenAI’s Evan Morikawa goes behind-the-scenes on the challenges they faced scaling ChatGPT, the constant need to reset as a leader, and how GPUs don’t in fact grow on trees.
-
How AI changes engineering management
The rise of competent AI coding assistants could shift the role of software engineering managers considerably. Are you ready for that change?
-
Tech debt for engineering leaders: How a shortcut today impacts tomorrow
Technical debt is a ubiquitous problem for engineering managers, but what does it actually mean and how can you best attack it while balancing the other needs of the business?
-
How to get leadership buy-in on your tech strategy
For some Staff+ engineers, technical strategy development is an expectation, and not an easy one to navigate. Ras Kasa Williams is here to help you get buy-in for that strategy.
-
Tech debt traps to avoid
Tech debt is a term that often catches people out. Here are some ways to make sure you avoid falling into that trap!
-
The 6 biggest generative AI risks for developers
The future of work will almost certainly involve the use of generative AI tools, but is big tech being too hasty in integrating these capabilities into the software we use every day?
-
Can platform engineering help you do more with less?
As tech faces a downturn, platform engineering offers a way to decrease cognitive load, cut cloud costs, and boost delivery speed. What’s the catch?
-
When to migrate from a monolithic to a distributed frontend architecture
Deciding when to move from a monolithic to a distributed frontend architecture is an important technical decision as any company scales. Here’s what you need to consider before making the move.
Top Technical Direction videos
-
IPv6 – did we just win
Look, ok, I’m burnt out too. After years of pushing IPv6, we are where we are. But – where is that?
-
Tactical tech: Short-term solutions for long-term strategy
Waterloo International station was opened in 1994 serving Eurostar trains through the channel tunnel to France. The station cost £130 million to build and won the EU prize for contemporary architecture but closed just 13 years later in 2007.
-
Fitness Functions: Creating Consistency across Hundreds of Services
In this talk, I will show the different ways we employ fitness functions at Jimdo to keep track of the state of our over 200 services.
-
Have AI Got News for You
This talk ventures beyond the surface to offer you a compelling deep dive into the nuances of working with large language models (LLMs).
-
Sunsetting legacy: Navigating the Shop merchant eligibility data pipeline migration
In this talk, I’ll share the strategies used to disassemble our legacy data pipelines responsible for managing merchant eligibility on the Shop apps. Join me on a journey through our successes, challenges, and invaluable learnings in the meticulous orchestration of terminating our legacy data pipelines.
-
Architecting for scale: Revisiting fundamentals for sustainable growth
In this talk, Viktor challenges this approach by advocating for adaptability and a return to basics in system design.
-
Managing engineering teams in the era of AI
Drawing from my experience as Engineering Manager at incident.io, where I was part of a product team that built the company’s first AI-powered features, this talk combines personal insights and broader leadership strategies.
-
Managing the marathon: Leading teams through lengthy migration projects
In this short talk, Lawrence will reflect on his experience leading teams through multi-year migration projects.