This One Skill Signifies Seniority For Software Engineers

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1. 

   E1271 · 7 Oct 2025 · 18 min

   Engage in Deliberate Practice to Level Up Your Engineering Leadership Skills

   I want to dive into the concept of Deliberate Practice, which sets the greatest apart in fields ranging from sports to writing to engineering. I’ll explain why it’s much more than just repetition or experience, and why applying it to your career can lead to rapid improvement. Most importantly, I will provide concrete ways you can apply deliberate practice to level up your engineering and leadership skills, especially in areas that are traditionally difficult to practice, such as communication and strategic decision-making.

2. 

   E1270 · 2 Oct 2025 · 21 min

   Shift Your Locus of Control to Take Charge of Your Engineering Career

   This episode explores the concept of Locus of Control and why developing a more internal locus of control is beneficial for your career and life. You'll learn the difference between internal and external perspectives, why one is more useful than the other, and practical exercises to shift your mindset to believe you have more influence over the outcomes you care about.

3. 

   E1269 · 24 Sep 2025 · 12 min

   Resumé Driven Development - Your Career is In Your Hands

   In this episode we'll discuss why "Résumé Driven Development" is a powerful mental model for building a thriving career. Instead of seeing your résumé as just a job-hunting tool, you'll learn to use it as a guide for setting measurable, impactful goals that benefit you, your manager, and your company.

4. 

   E1268 · 18 Sep 2025 · 16 min

   Forced and Unforced Errors

   In this episode, we introduce a simple yet powerful mental model from the world of sports: forced vs. unforced errors. By understanding this concept, you can shift your focus from things outside your control to the simple, foundational behaviours that truly define a successful career.

5. 

   E1267 · 14 Sep 2025 · 14 min

   View Your Productivity Through the Lens of Values and Priorities

   In this episode, we introduce two fundamental thought experiments to help you uncover your true priorities and core values. By exploring scenarios of scarcity and abundance, you'll learn to align your daily actions with what truly matters, leading to a more satisfied career and life.

6. 

   E1265 · 27 Aug 2025 · 14 min

   Backup Plans and Risk Reward Curves

   This episode focuses on the critical importance of having a backup plan, not just for technical redundancies but especially for situations involving human error, which are highly prevalent in one's career. The core argument hinges on understanding risk and reward curves, highlighting the disproportionate impact of failures compared to incremental successes.

7. 

   E1264 · 22 Aug 2025 · 24 min

   Second Order Consequences and Forcing Functions

   Todays episode delves into understanding and leveraging second and third-order consequences – the ripple effects that occur after an initial action – and introduces forcing functions, which are an inverted way of thinking about these consequences, designed to drive desired outcomes by first determining "what must be true" for them to occur. The episode also connects these concepts to the importance of effective goal setting, explaining how well-defined goals provide clarity, focus, and a strategic framework for decision-making and career advancement.

8. 

   E1263 · 17 Aug 2025 · 16 min

   Don't Try to Solve Hyperobject Problems Once

   This episode delves into the philosophical concept of hyperobjects – problems so vast and complex they lack clear boundaries and cannot be "solved" once and for all. It explores why attempting to permanently fix issues like technical debt, user experience, or performance management is often ineffective. Instead, it offers a new perspective: how to interact with and manage these intractable problems by focusing on specific outcomes and accepting their ongoing nature.

9. 

   E1262 · 10 Aug 2025 · 20 min

   Behavior Change 101: Trigger, Incentive, and Ability

   This episode delves into a powerful model for encouraging behaviour change, applicable to both managing others and self-improvement, by focusing on three critical factors: Trigger, Incentive, and Ability. It challenges common, ineffective management approaches and provides insights into fostering new habits and desired actions by making the 'right' thing the 'easy' thing.

10. 

    E1261 · 29 Jul 2025 · 26 min

    Goal of the Goal - Using Goals As A Prioritization Clarifying Tool

    This episode delves into the crucial role of well-positioned goals in a developer's career. It asserts that goals provide clarity, perspective, and purpose, particularly focusing on clarity as a primary benefit. The discussion challenges common struggles with goal setting, including the often-overlooked importance of relevance (the 'R' in SMART goals), suggesting that an irrelevant goal, no matter how specific or measurable, is ultimately ineffective. The core message highlights that the purpose of a goal is to serve as a clarifying and prioritising tool, enabling you to make decisions about…