Growing to Senior & Tech Lead

Upcoming talks and workshops
Thinking Like an Architect
React Summit 2025React Summit 2025
Upcoming
Thinking Like an Architect
Remember when software architecture seemed like just boxes and arrows on a whiteboard? In this talk, we'll challenge that view and explore what really matters in modern software design. You will discover how successful architects think beyond tech specs, seeing architecture as a living story shaped by people, teams, and evolving needs. You'll gain fresh perspectives on building systems that last and learn why the best architectures are more about enabling people than enforcing technical decisions. Join me for a journey that might just change how you think about architecture forever.
How to Become a Staff Engineer
React Summit 2025React Summit 2025
Upcoming
How to Become a Staff Engineer
Related conferences
TechLead Conference 2025: AI in Orgs
TechLead Conference 2025: AI in Orgs
September, 2025
TechLead Conference 2024
TechLead Conference 2024
Jun 15 - 19, 2024
TechLead Conference 2023
TechLead Conference 2023
Mar 9 - 10, 2023
Talks & Workshops recordings
Impact: Growing as an Engineer
React Summit 2022React Summit 2022
Impact: Growing as an Engineer
This Talk explores the concepts of impact and growth in software engineering. It emphasizes the importance of finding ways to make the impossible possible and the role of mastery in expanding one's sphere of impact. The Talk also highlights the significance of understanding business problems and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. Effective communication, accountability, and decision-making are essential skills for engineers, and setting goals and finding sponsors can help drive career growth. Feedback, goal setting, and stepping outside of comfort zones are crucial for personal development and growth. Taking responsibility for one's own growth and finding opportunities for impact are key themes discussed in the Talk.
On Becoming a Tech Lead
TechLead Conference 2023TechLead Conference 2023
On Becoming a Tech Lead
The role of a Tech Lead involves shaping the roadmap, helping the team be more effective, and working on important projects. Lessons learned include encouraging idea sharing, avoiding taking on all the work, and focusing on delegation. Tech Leads focus on the outcome, involve the team in decision-making, and make plans based on how different pieces will interact. The role of a Tech Lead is to focus on engineering and guide the team in figuring out how the whole system should fit together. Architecting can become problematic when it loses touch with the coding part, resulting in implementation issues.
Forget Bad Code, Focus on the System
React Summit US 2023React Summit US 2023
Forget Bad Code, Focus on the System
Watch video: Forget Bad Code, Focus on the System
Setting up the system and separating concerns are important in software development. Modular construction and prefab units are a new trend that makes construction quicker and easier. Architectural complexity can lead to a drop in productivity and an increase in defects. Measuring architectural complexity can help identify natural modules in the code. Best practices for avoiding architectural complexity include organizing code by business domain and using prop drilling. Atomic design and organizing a monorepo are recommended approaches for managing architectural complexity.
Senior Mindset
C3 Dev Festival 2024C3 Dev Festival 2024
Workshop finished
Senior Mindset
Workshop
Swizec Teller
Swizec Teller
Getting that senior title is easy. Just stick around. Being a true senior takes a new way of thinking.
You're a great engineer. You can code anything you need, solve every problem, google any solution. Your code is flying.
But somehow you're ... stuck. Interviewing feels rough, you pass the coding and fail the real stuff. Culture and system. At work they keep giving you stupid little problems with no growth. You crave challenge and keep tweaking CSS instead.
You want some responsibility, damn it! What's that coworker got that you don't?
Most of all you crave autonomy. The freedom to tackle big challenges and help the company with your brilliance.
They don't even see all the bad code you see! How can they live like this?? Instead of autonomy, you're getting babysat. Managers asking what you're up to, daily standups that feel like a drag, pushback and 'maybe someday' on every idea that you give.
I was like that a few years ago. A totally senior engineer who keeps running into walls and getting stuck.
Now even bigger companies trust me with designing systems and leading teams on projects that could make or break the company.
In this workshop you'll learn what changed and how to apply the Senior Mindset to your work and career:- How to gain autonomy- Inspire trust- Own large projects- Get freedom to experiment- Have your ideas heard- Think like an expert- Become a decision-making peer, not a pair of hands
You'll work on case studies, analyze anecdotes, discuss insightful books, and look at your work and career in a new light.
From Senior to Lead: Grow and Thrive in the Role
C3 Dev Festival 2024C3 Dev Festival 2024
Workshop finished
From Senior to Lead: Grow and Thrive in the Role
Workshop
Gregor Ojstersek
Gregor Ojstersek
This workshop primarily targets Senior Software Engineers who wish to grow to the Lead role (Tech Lead (Staff), Team Lead, Engineering Manager)I would be happy to welcome ambitious Software Engineers as wellI would be happy to welcome Lead Engineers who wish to thrive in the role Some key topics we will go through:How to let your manager know about your goals and aspirationsHow to keep a brag list of all the wins that you achievedHow to become the go-to person or an expert in a certain domainHow to recognise an impactful improvement and own the implementationHow to become product-mindedHow to show yourself as a very credible individualHow to become a team player and a mentor/coach to others
The Art of Interviewing People or How to Identify Senior Talent
TechLead Conference 2024TechLead Conference 2024
The Art of Interviewing People or How to Identify Senior Talent
The Talk discusses the process of interviewing and identifying senior talent. It emphasizes the importance of assessing soft skills and qualities like communication, leadership, mentoring, and teaching abilities. Evaluating problem-solving skills involves observing the candidate's reaction and their focus on the actual problem, rather than the specific answer. The Talk also highlights the significance of ownership, autonomy, emotional intelligence, and the ability to handle failure. Finally, it mentions the importance of concluding the interview by asking questions to assess the candidate's fit and career stage.
From Senior Developer to Manager and Back: The Journey of Returning to Coding
TechLead Conference 2024TechLead Conference 2024
From Senior Developer to Manager and Back: The Journey of Returning to Coding
The Talk explores the transition from software developer to team leader, highlighting the different responsibilities and challenges involved. It discusses the role of an engineering manager in organizing team work, making top-level technical decisions, and representing the team externally. The challenges and satisfaction of being a manager are also explored, with an emphasis on the importance of the team's success and growth. The Talk concludes with tips for new managers and the possibility of returning to an engineering role.