Real Talk for Real Engineers
Soft skills, career growth, and the human side of shipping code.
The Senior Engineer Skill Tree Nobody Talks About
You maxed out your technical stats years ago. Here's why the promotion still isn't landing — and the skill tree you've been ignoring.
April 30, 2026
Code Review Is a Social Skill, Not a Technical One
The diff is the easy part. The hard part is telling someone their approach is wrong without making them never want to open a PR again.
April 28, 2026
Why Your 1-on-1s Feel Like Dentist Appointments
If your weekly 1-on-1 is just a status update you could've Slacked, you're wasting the most powerful career tool you have.
April 25, 2026
The On-Call Rotation Taught Me More About Leadership Than Any Book
Page at 2am. Production is down. And somehow, the way you handle the next 45 minutes says more about your leadership than any sprint retro ever will.
April 22, 2026
The Loudest Voice in Standup Isn't the Most Effective
In audio production, compression tames the peaks so the whole mix shines. Your standup needs the same treatment.
April 20, 2026Want the full framework?
These posts scratch the surface. The book goes deep — 16 chapters using music production as your guide to mastering the human side of engineering.