The hottest Career growth Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

The Magic Loop

Lenny's Newsletter • 4559 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
💼 Business Career growth
  1. The Magic Loop is a framework for rapid career growth with five basic steps.
  2. The core Loop consists of doing your job well, asking your manager how you can help, doing what they ask, asking for work that aligns with your career goals, and repeating the cycle.
  3. Building a cooperative relationship with your manager through the Magic Loop can lead to career advancement and mutual benefits.

What It Really Takes to Move From Senior to Staff Data Engineer

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 447 implied HN points • 17 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Career growth
  1. Moving from senior to staff data engineer requires developing non-technical skills like communication and project management. It's important to help your teammates and have a holistic view of your work.
  2. Staff engineers need to be adaptable and handle more responsibilities beyond coding, such as mentoring and collaboration. They also need to maintain good relationships with different teams and stakeholders.
  3. A clear understanding of project goals and the ability to design scalable solutions are essential. This often involves diagramming ideas and determining what should be built in-house versus what can be delegated.

Why I Quit Full-Time Roles

Elena's Growth Scoop • 2712 implied HN points • 22 Nov 23
💼 Business Career growth
  1. The author quit full-time roles due to personal losses and declining health.
  2. Traditional corporate ladder may not be the only option for those passionate about their work.
  3. The author found success in solopreneurship by structuring her work, taking interim roles, and creating alternative income streams.

When, why, and how to stop coding as your day job

It Depends / Nimble Autonomy • 11 HN points • 22 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Career growth
  1. Stepping away from coding allows you to focus on being a more effective manager. When you stop coding, you can better support and lead your team.
  2. Many technical leaders struggle to balance coding and management, often feeling they must still code to stay relevant. However, shifting your focus to team leadership is essential for growth.
  3. To remain connected to technology, take an interest in your team's work and continue learning. You can still engage with technology without it being the main part of your job.

Is Solopreneurship Right For You?

Elena's Growth Scoop • 2063 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Starting as a solopreneur is like starting any other business, using skills from your job to help grow yourself.
  2. For solopreneurs, differentiation comes from specificity in knowledge, focusing on specific industries or business models.
  3. As a solopreneur, build a portfolio of monetizable services and explore advising opportunities for a flexible and potentially more rewarding path.
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Five Mistakes to Avoid as an Advisor

Elena's Growth Scoop • 1257 implied HN points • 28 Apr 23
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Being an advisor can help you gain exposure to various industries and companies.
  2. It's important to be selective with clients and focus on a specific niche to avoid context switching and enhance expertise.
  3. Focusing on a single strategic initiative as an advisor allows for more impactful guidance and value creation.

Unpacking what it means to be an interim leader.

Elena's Growth Scoop • 766 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Interim roles offer flexibility for both employers and employees in fast-changing industries like tech.
  2. Finding an interim role may not be as straightforward as finding a full-time position, but it can be converted from existing opportunities with a specific focus or through a contract-to-hire approach.
  3. Compensation for interim roles should consider benefits, be a mix of cash and equity, and aim to match or exceed full-time market rates for specialized expertise.

The path to your first advising contract.

Elena's Growth Scoop • 1139 implied HN points • 26 May 23
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Don't quit your full-time job to start advising, aim to close your first advising contract while still working full-time.
  2. Shift the narrative by creating your first advising opportunity instead of waiting for one to come to you.
  3. Focus on learning and experience in your first advisory contract, not just money. Iterate and analyze patterns to decide your future in advising.

Movers, Shakers, & Money Makers #2

Human Capitalist • 458 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Several notable professionals recently changed jobs, showcasing their expertise in various industries, like AI, space, and cybersecurity.
  2. These job changes highlight the importance of strong leadership in tech and data-driven sectors, suggesting that skilled leaders can significantly impact a company's growth.
  3. Monitoring job changes can provide valuable insights for investors, recruiters, and professionals looking to network or track talent in their industry.

Weak Soft Skills: Why you are stuck at the Senior engineer level

Path to Staff Engineer • 35 HN points • 04 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Career growth
  1. Soft skills are important for engineers to move from senior to staff levels. They help in communicating and working well with others.
  2. Mastering communication includes writing clearly, speaking confidently, and being aware of body language. This helps ensure your ideas are understood.
  3. Being adaptable and knowing how to handle challenges is key. Flexibility and good problem-solving skills are highly valued in teams.

If You’re New to Data, Read This Before You Build Anything

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 365 implied HN points • 19 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Career growth
  1. It's better to work with other experienced engineers early in your career. This way, you can learn from their decisions and improve your skills more quickly.
  2. Don't get distracted by flashy tech trends or buzzwords. Focus on solving real business problems instead of getting caught up in the hype.
  3. Communication is key in data roles. Make sure you understand your audience and always lead with the main point when sharing your work.

Engineer to CEO in 3 years: These key lessons got me there

High Growth Engineer • 717 implied HN points • 23 Feb 25
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Simplify your communication by sharing only the important details. It's better to answer the main question first and add more info later if needed.
  2. Look for gaps in your team or company where you can help. Taking initiative and proposing solutions can help you grow in your career.
  3. Listen to your team and find out what problems they face. Removing obstacles makes it easier for everyone to work better together.

5 Habits Of Highly Effective Data Engineers To Master in 2025

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 800 implied HN points • 20 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Career growth
  1. Being proactive means solving problems before they become bigger issues. If you see something that can be improved, go ahead and make that change instead of waiting for someone else to do it.
  2. Make sure your contributions are visible, so people recognize your work. Share your successes and updates with your team and leadership to build a stronger reputation.
  3. Become the go-to person for a specific area in your company. Focus on something valuable that can help others succeed, and make sure to share your knowledge and support with your team.

Thinking Like an Owner: Elevating Your Data Team's Impact In 2025

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 788 implied HN points • 30 Nov 24
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Data teams should focus on projects that really matter to the business, not just completing tasks. It's important to pick work that makes a difference.
  2. Understanding how your business works is key to finding valuable projects. Ask questions about the data to see what's impacting your important metrics.
  3. Shift your mindset from being a regular team member to thinking like a business owner. This means taking initiative and seeking out projects that align with overall business goals.

What does extreme ownership really mean?

Arpit’s Newsletter • 176 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Extreme ownership means taking initiative and completing tasks without waiting to be told what to do.
  2. Keeping everyone on the same page by proactively sharing progress and potential roadblocks is crucial for success.
  3. Extreme ownership does not mean working twice as hard, but rather taking complete ownership and ensuring delivery of assigned tasks.

Klaviyo is hiring for 150+ roles💰

Black Tech Pipeline • 157 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Klaviyo is hiring for over 150 roles in various locations and job positions.
  2. The company emphasizes personal authenticity, collaboration, and lifelong learning for its employees.
  3. Job listings include positions like Account Executives, Engineers, Managers, and more offering competitive salaries.

Avoid these Mistakes if you are Android Developers

Better Engineers • 19 implied HN points • 18 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Career growth
  1. Avoid common mistakes like leaving commented code and using hardcoded values. These habits can help make your code cleaner and more reliable.
  2. Develop strong code review skills to give helpful feedback and improve your team's coding practices. This will also help you grow as a developer.
  3. Focus on scalability by breaking down large features into smaller tasks and using modern tools and concepts. This approach will make your projects easier to manage as they grow.

How we set salaries

computers suck • 176 implied HN points • 01 Jun 23
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Traditional salary-setting processes can feel like a black box, leaving employees with little insight.
  2. Transparency in salary information contributes to equity and equality in pay.
  3. The Skill Tree process at garden3d empowers individuals to advocate for themselves and others in a fair and transparent manner.

How To Fast Track Your Career As An Engineer

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 930 implied HN points • 12 Aug 23
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Focusing on impact in your work can accelerate your career growth and lead to more satisfying outcomes.
  2. To have more impact in tech, run towards unsolved problems, be scrappy in finding solutions, and prioritize ruthlessly.
  3. Impact can be achieved by reducing costs or increasing revenue, and understanding how your work contributes to these areas is essential for career advancement in engineering.

How I Transitioned from Individual Contributor to Manager -- Twice

The Uncommon Executive • 59 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Moving from an individual contributor to a manager role can be challenging, especially in product management where prior management experience is often required.
  2. Key factors for transitioning to a management position include being a high-performer, having influence across the organization, and the presence of a business need for a manager.
  3. Securing sponsorship, networking effectively, and identifying the right mentor or manager to learn from are crucial steps in transitioning to a management role.

Dizzy

The Weasel Speaks • 117 implied HN points • 19 Mar 23
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Reflection is key to assessing growth and progress in both personal and professional life.
  2. Regular self-reflection can help differentiate exceptional professionals from mediocre ones.
  3. Taking intentional time to reflect can lead to learning, improvement, and a better understanding of one's trajectory.

Why I moved from Rails to Node.js

Implementing • 78 implied HN points • 10 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Career growth
  1. Transitioning from Rails to Node.js can provide a deeper understanding of how things work by allowing more control over configurations and avoiding excessive abstractions.
  2. Opting for Node.js can bring more job opportunities and choices due to its market demand, especially in medium and large enterprises.
  3. Using JavaScript for both Node.js backend and frontend frameworks like Vue.js can empower developers with a versatile skillset and broaden job prospects.

Managing Too Many People Is a Trap

The Engineering Leader • 59 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Expanding your team should focus on impact, not just headcount.
  2. Managing too many people can lead to pitfalls like lack of attention, micromanagement, and burnout.
  3. Career progression in management involves influencing other teams, taking on more scope, and focusing on impactful leadership rather than just managing more people.

My biggest leadership failure (so far)

Boots Too Big • 17 HN points • 15 May 24
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Feeling lost in a new leadership role is common, especially when transitioning from a different position with mismatched skills.
  2. Leadership roles require different tools such as clear communication, flexibility in technical design, and proper ownership of gaps.
  3. Learning from mistakes is crucial for growth in leadership positions, and self-reflection through journaling can help in being prepared for future challenges.

Three traits of the software engineers that are promoted fastest[Storytime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 26 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Career growth
  1. Top engineers integrate feedback to grow faster by seeking and incorporating detailed feedback, and following up on the impact.
  2. Top engineers prioritize their time by focusing on high-return activities and ruthlessly assessing what is worth pursuing.
  3. Top engineers communicate effectively by articulating the 'why', avoiding jargon, tailoring messages to the audience, and sharing updates regularly.

Jump!- Why Taking The Leap Is Your Logical Next Step

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 159 implied HN points • 18 Oct 22
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Taking a leap in life doesn't have to be an emotional choice. It can actually be a logical decision based on what you truly want.
  2. Adults often overthink their decisions, unlike children who jump into experiences without fear. Embracing a childlike curiosity can lead to growth and joy.
  3. While there are concerns about making big changes, the rewards and opportunities that come from taking the leap can be incredible and unexpected.

Highlights from the responses to my reflections

Splattern • 39 implied HN points • 05 Nov 23
💼 Business Career growth
  1. Going on a vision quest means spending time alone in nature to reflect and connect with yourself. It's a chance to slow down and think deeply about your life.
  2. Working on meaningful projects can bring a sense of purpose. Setting up a work area and preparing for adventures shows a balance between productivity and leisure.
  3. Responses from others highlight the importance of being treated well at work. Many people feel that a supportive and respectful workplace is crucial for long-term happiness.