Staff Engineer: Leadership Beyond the Management Track

by Will Larson

Success will often mean interpreting business needs, communicating a clear direction, defusing a looming crisis, convincing teams to agree on tradeoffs, or just being a good influence.

The lack of resources for senior engineers is part of a larger problem: it’s easy to lose track of what the job even is.

Architects are responsible for the success of a specific technical domain within their company,

Influential architects dedicate their energy to maintaining an intimate understanding of the business’ needs, their users’ goals, and the relevant technical constraints. They use that insight to identify and advocate for effective approaches within their area of focus, and do it with organizational authority that they’ve earned by demonstrating consistently good judgment.

One constant across all roles is that the reality of setting technical direction is far more about understanding and solving the real needs of the organization around you and far less about prioritizing technology and approaches that you personally are excited to learn about. In earlier roles, you may have tried to influence decisions towards technology choices you were motivated by; in senior positions, you’re accountable to the business and organization first and yourself second.

You’re far more likely to change your company’s long-term trajectory by growing the engineers around you than through personal heroics. The best way to grow those around you is by creating an active practice of mentorship and sponsorship.