The Caring Techie Newsletter

The Caring Techie Newsletter focuses on leadership, communication, and personal development within the tech industry, drawing on the author's experiences at major tech companies and startups. It covers topics like emotional intelligence, networking, burnout prevention, effective disagreement, and the transition to managerial roles, offering strategies for professional growth and well-being.

Leadership Development Communication Skills Personal Development Networking and Social Capital Career Growth and Transition Burnout Prevention Emotional Intelligence Mentorship and Coaching Conflict Management Self-improvement

The hottest Substack posts of The Caring Techie Newsletter

And their main takeaways

If you can code, you can write!

15 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
🚌 Education Creative Writing Problem Solving Efficiency
  1. Writing and coding both involve problem-solving and require creativity.
  2. Clarity and simplicity are essential in both coding and writing for better understanding and maintainability.
  3. Efficiency in expression, readability, structure, and continuous improvement are key aspects that writers and programmers share.

250→22k Subscribers in One Year: How I Started & Grew "The Caring Techie"

19 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Writing Newsletter Growth Challenges
  1. Starting a newsletter can be challenging but rewarding; focus on providing valuable content to grow your audience.
  2. Choosing the right platform, name, target audience, and content pillars are crucial for a successful newsletter launch.
  3. Improving writing skills involves seeking feedback, reading relevant books, establishing a writing process, and consistently putting out content.

If your network is your net worth, this is how you get rich

22 implied HN points • 24 Feb 24
💼 Business Networking Career development Mentorship Work Relationships
  1. Building strong networks is about investing social capital through kindness and goodwill.
  2. Creating an environment where people feel safe to ask questions and where they feel heard and acknowledged is crucial for fostering connections.
  3. Anticipating and meeting others' needs, offering help, and sharing knowledge are valuable ways to build social capital and support others in various settings.

Why building an authentic personal brand matters more than you think

12 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
💼 Business Personal Branding Career growth Leadership Communication Professional development
  1. Your personal brand is what people know you for, and it's important for career growth and opportunities.
  2. Debunk common myths about personal branding like it being only for selling or less competent individuals.
  3. Having a solid personal brand can help you stand out at work, build trust with stakeholders, and expand your influence.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Why influence without authority is a vital skill for anyone

27 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
💼 Business Leadership Management Career growth Team Dynamics Organizational Behavior
  1. Influence without authority is a vital skill for everyone, from individual contributors to senior management.
  2. To get things done efficiently, you need to master the art of influencing without authority.
  3. Influencing without authority is essential for achieving career growth, turning ideas into reality, and building valuable relationships.

7 questions to help you be a better writer

27 implied HN points • 13 Dec 23
🚌 Education Writing
  1. Clarify your main goal before writing to ensure clarity and focus.
  2. Identify your target audience to tailor your content to their needs.
  3. Make your writing clear, respectful, and impactful to engage the reader effectively.

(Re)Introducing myself + Elpha AMA + Something special...

6 implied HN points • 18 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Career Leadership Management Coaching
  1. Irina has had a diverse career journey from software engineer to tech lead to manager at big tech companies like Google and Uber.
  2. Coaching became a passion for Irina after realizing the joy of helping her team find their own solutions.
  3. Big tech companies have more structured and hierarchical leadership styles, while startups lean towards entrepreneurial and hands-on leadership.

So you want to be a Manager - Part 1: Are you sure?

9 implied HN points • 12 Jul 23
💼 Business Management Career development Leadership Tech industry Workplace culture
  1. Transitioning from individual contributor to engineering manager requires deep reflection and research.
  2. Engineering management involves leading and coordinating engineering activities, but it's not as easy as it may seem on paper.
  3. Successful engineering managers need a different skill set than individual contributors, including strong people skills and patience.

What is Psychological Safety and why you should care

3 implied HN points • 08 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Employee engagement Brain function Business impact
  1. Psychological safety is crucial in the workplace to allow employees to speak up without fear of punishment or humiliation.
  2. Creating a psychologically safe environment leads to higher performance, innovation, and employee retention.
  3. Businesses benefit from psychological safety through improved team performance, employee engagement, and overall well-being.

How to create and promote Psychological Safety at work

2 implied HN points • 22 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychological safety Leadership Communication Inclusivity
  1. Psychological safety is crucial for a healthy work environment, where individuals feel free to voice ideas, questions, and concerns without fear of punishment.
  2. Creating psychological safety is a shared responsibility between leaders and employees, with leaders modeling behaviors and reframing challenges as learning opportunities.
  3. To foster psychological safety, individuals can embrace curiosity, cancel blame, focus on collaborative problem-solving, and ensure everyone feels heard and valued.

Burnout in Tech - Part 1: Declaring War

10 implied HN points • 04 May 21
  1. People working in Tech can face burnout despite the perks of the job.
  2. Burnout is expensive for both individuals and organizations, impacting productivity and well-being.
  3. Recognizing, addressing, and preventing burnout is a collective effort that requires both leadership and employee involvement.

Burnout in Tech - Part 2: The internal causes of burnout

5 implied HN points • 14 May 21
  1. Recognize and address internal causes of burnout to prevent it from reappearing.
  2. Internal causes of burnout are within our control and can be changed through effort and support.
  3. Traits and behaviors contributing to burnout can create vicious cycles, but acknowledging the problem is the first step to solving it.

To be a better coach, learn this one skill

4 implied HN points • 03 Aug 21
  1. Unconditional positive regard is essential for fostering trust and growth in coaching relationships.
  2. Applying unconditional positive regard in the workplace can lead to open communication and positive team dynamics.
  3. While unconditional positive regard is powerful, it may not guarantee change and termination might be necessary in some cases.

Burnout in Tech - Part 4: Anti-Burnout Strategies

4 implied HN points • 09 Jul 21
  1. Burnout in tech can result from increased workloads, stress levels, and poor recovery.
  2. To combat burnout, focus on reducing stressors, managing workload, and improving recovery.
  3. Start by conducting a stress audit to identify sources of stress and address them effectively.

Burnout in Tech - Part 3: The external causes of burnout

3 implied HN points • 03 Jun 21
  1. Burnout in tech is not just an internal issue, but is often caused by external factors like toxic cultures and bad leadership.
  2. Organizations and leaders need to acknowledge their role in preventing burnout and take responsibility for it.
  3. Understanding the link between psychological unsafety, distrust, bad management, and other external stressors can help in recognizing burnout triggers.

Welcome to The Caring Techie Newsletter!

2 implied HN points • 27 Apr 21
  1. The author is a software engineer with a passion for building technology with humanity.
  2. The newsletter will cover topics related to leadership, psychology, and personal development.
  3. The author aims to provide practical insights grounded in personal experience and research.