High Growth Engineer

High Growth Engineer is a Substack focusing on enhancing the careers of software engineers through practical advice on productivity, leadership, communication, and mentorship. It combines actionable strategies with personal growth insights to navigate career progression, from junior roles to senior leadership, emphasizing the importance of mentorship, effective planning, and continuous learning.

Career Development Productivity Leadership and Management Communication Skills Technical Skills Mentorship Negotiation and Compensation Work-Life Balance

The hottest Substack posts of High Growth Engineer

And their main takeaways

Happy 2025 High Growth Engineer 🎉

363 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Tools Software Engineering Personal Growth Productivity Mental health
  1. Prioritize your mental health and learn to say 'no' when needed. This helps prevent burnout and keeps you focused on what really matters.
  2. Adapt your systems to align with your goals. If your priorities change, make adjustments to ensure your daily actions support your personal growth.
  3. Embrace change and keep learning. The tech industry evolves quickly, so being open to new skills will help you stay relevant.

The one framework every engineer should know

3744 implied HN points • 24 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Engineering Software Problem Solving Communication Frameworks
  1. The MECE principle helps you organize your thoughts clearly. It stands for Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive, which means breaking down problems without overlap while covering all possibilities.
  2. Using MECE in interviews shows your problem-solving skills. Instead of jumping straight to the answer, outline different approaches and explain your reasoning to demonstrate structured thinking.
  3. Applying MECE during team communication helps keep everyone on the same page. Whether it's giving updates during an investigation or explaining a process, a clear structure makes it easier for others to understand.

High Growth Engineer Update/Break

586 implied HN points • 01 Dec 24
🕹 Technology AI Tools Personal Growth Mental health Content creation Community Building
  1. The writer is taking a break for at least four weeks to recharge and think about what they want to focus on moving forward. This time off is important for their mental health.
  2. When they return, there won't be a strict weekly writing schedule. They plan to prioritize quality over quantity and write when they feel inspired.
  3. The writer has ideas for new projects, like building AI tools, writing a book, or starting a community for discussions. They want to use the extra time effectively to provide more value.

5 Frameworks To Master Communication And Influence As An Engineer

1415 implied HN points • 10 Nov 24
💼 Business Leadership Communication Influence Startups Career development
  1. Understanding communication styles is key to being effective as an engineer. Knowing how to adapt your message can help get your point across better.
  2. Influence is about more than just speaking well; it's also about building relationships. Strong connections can lead to better collaboration and teamwork.
  3. Mastering executive communication can help you lead better and get your ideas heard. It's important to practice and refine these skills regularly.

How I got 27 hours in a week by installing one tool

1052 implied HN points • 17 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Productivity Tools Software AI Workflow Engineering
  1. Using tools like Raycast can save a lot of time by centralizing different functions on your computer. It allows you to quickly access apps and features, making your workflow smoother.
  2. Having features like an instant AI chat is really useful for quickly finding answers to questions without interrupting your flow. You can get help right when you need it, without the hassle of opening new tabs.
  3. Text expanders are great for saving time on repetitive typing. They let you create shortcuts for common phrases, making it faster to communicate and reducing effort in your daily tasks.
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5 Lessons I learned the hard way from 10+ years as a software engineer

1462 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Software Engineering Career development Mentorship Productivity Leadership
  1. Always learn from your mistakes, as they can teach valuable lessons for your career. Embracing failure can help you grow and improve.
  2. Networking is important; make connections in your industry. Relationships often open doors to new opportunities and collaborations.
  3. Keep your skills updated and be open to new technologies. The tech field is constantly evolving, and staying current helps you stay relevant.

I wish I started doing this on day 0 of my career as an engineer

1574 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
💼 Business Productivity Career development Software Engineering Time management Planning
  1. Planning is crucial to avoid feeling unproductive and getting pulled in different directions throughout the day.
  2. By planning your day, you focus on what's important and maintain control over your daily tasks.
  3. Even a simple daily plan of one main goal can significantly improve your productivity and time management.

The Making of a Senior Engineer 💡: Guest Post by Addy Osmani

1238 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business Leadership Engineering Career development Management Skills Development
  1. To transition into senior engineering roles, you need to shift from hands-on work to systems thinking, focusing on strategic leadership and fostering team autonomy.
  2. Senior engineers lead through influence rather than pure authority, emphasizing building trusted relationships, setting vision, and empowering teams.
  3. Developing critical leadership skills as a senior engineer involves improving empathy, communication, collaboration, systems thinking, and execution orchestration, while overcoming common pitfalls like losing sight of the big picture and excessive control.

Simple tricks to level up your technical design docs in 2024 👌

1108 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Career development Documentation Software Engineering Feedback
  1. Design docs help to reduce risk, document decisions, and align on technical choices.
  2. Make design docs concise with only essential information for decision-making to ensure they get read and progress smoothly.
  3. Get individual feedback first before group sessions to make the review process more efficient and effective.

Engineering Crits at Figma: Interview with Laura Peng

307 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Design Engineering Feedback Collaboration Process
  1. Consider the level of detail in crits based on the feedback needed for effective decision-making.
  2. Structure crit meetings with clear expectations, silent reviewing periods, and follow-up synchronous discussions.
  3. Approach feedback in crits by giving and receiving early, focusing on empowering team confidence, and maintaining a positive, collaborative culture.

How to be the favorite engineer among your product manager and designer

465 implied HN points • 27 Aug 23
💼 Business Career development Product Management Engineering
  1. Collaboration with product managers and designers can be challenging due to differing priorities and project impacts.
  2. Engineers often face the dilemma of balancing what they can do, what the PM wants, and what the PM thinks they can do.
  3. Maintaining a good relationship and meeting deadlines are key aspects of being a favored engineer among product managers and designers.

Mentorship’s Role in my Staff Promotion

326 implied HN points • 20 Aug 23
  1. Mentorship played a key role in Ryan's staff promotion from junior to staff in 3 years.
  2. Ryan's work at Instagram was publicly recognized by Zuck.
  3. Ryan regularly writes about software engineering at the Developing Dev and focuses on career growth.

Advice for job seekers in a layoff environment

316 implied HN points • 16 Apr 23
  1. Improve your resume to stand out in job applications
  2. Apply to multiple places and treat each response as an opportunity
  3. Prepare thoroughly for interviews with practice questions and strategies

Make yourself known at work

316 implied HN points • 26 Mar 23
  1. It's easier to grow and get promoted in your career if you're known for something.
  2. Figure out what you want to be known for and become good at it.
  3. Show, don't tell that you are good at your chosen skill or expertise.

Everything top software engineering creators wish they knew early on

139 implied HN points • 14 May 23
  1. Special edition with lessons top software engineers wish they knew earlier in their careers.
  2. Over 1,000 subscribers celebrated in the High Growth Engineer community.
  3. Summary of key lessons collected through an engaging LinkedIn post.

5 crucial ways to improve your Slack communication as an engineer

130 implied HN points • 23 Apr 23
  1. Improving Slack communication is crucial for software engineers' career growth.
  2. Mastering asynchronous communication tools like Slack can lead to quick seniority advancements.
  3. Using Slack effectively on a daily basis can significantly impact one's career trajectory.

How to get estimates right 95% of the time ✅

102 implied HN points • 30 Apr 23
  1. Estimating can be stressful and difficult, but with practice, you can improve.
  2. Mistakes in estimating are a part of the learning process.
  3. Getting estimates right most of the time is achievable with time and experience.

9 key lessons learned on my path from Engineer to VP 🔑

2 HN points • 21 Jan 24
  1. Become an expert in your domain to gain visibility and transition to leadership roles.
  2. Learn to handle stress and manage it effectively as you climb the career ladder.
  3. Avoid complacency, seek out challenging projects, and continuously strive for growth to advance in your career journey.