Clean code, happy teams — but how? ✅ Tag debt backlog items ✅ Reserve 10‑20% of each sprint for debt tickets ✅ Add CI quality gates (lint, complexity, coverage) Check the full playbook with real‑world results at techleadmastery.substack.com/p/tech-debt-...

95% of AI pilots crash – engineers pay the price. MIT finds $35‑40B spent, 9/10 deliver zero ROI. Why? Scope creep, costly in‑house models, wrong targets. Win: pick ONE narrow problem, use a proven off‑the‑shelf tool, set a KPI. 👉 techleadmastery.substack.com/p/ai-disaste...

Effective retro flow for developers in 30 min: 1. set a goal 2. review last actions 3. silent brainstorm 4. vote top pains 5. define ≤2 concrete actions with owners. 👉 Check out the detailed flow in my article at techleadmastery.substack.com/p/sprint-ret...

Stripe engineers were moving too slow. In 2018, rapid growth led to too many meetings, slow code reviews, and tool overload. Fixes: 1️⃣ Fewer approvals, faster merges 2️⃣ Slack & docs replaced status calls 3️⃣ Monorepo + microservices balance Takeaway: Cut approvals, reduce meetings, streamline code

Want to be a tech lead but no growth path at your company? Most developers wait for a promotion—that’s a mistake. ✅ Mentor without being asked ✅ Speak up & drive change I break it down in this week’s newsletter—read it here 👇 www.gabortill.com/become-tech-...

Want to be a tech lead but no growth path at your company? You don’t need permission to start leading. ✅ Help a teammate level up ✅ Share insights beyond code ✅ Own a process and improve it ✅ Push for team-wide improvements Most companies promote those already leading. What’s stopping you?

Leaders don’t get picked because they write great code—they get picked because they already act like leaders. If you want to move up, start proving you are ready now, check out my latest newsletter issue 👇 www.gabortill.com/prove-tech-l... #techlead #leadership #teamlead #devlead

To learn more, you can read the latest article "5 mindset shifts needed to grow from engineer to leader" that we did together with @gabortill.bsky.social here: newsletter.eng-leadership.com/p/5-mindset-...

When I first became a lead dev, I thought I had to have all the answers Then I quickly understood that control doesn't help as much as trust ✅ I started explaining my decisions clearly ✅ I asked for input before making calls ✅ I focused on people instead of projects People follow those they trust

Why don’t great developers automatically become great managers? @gregorojstersek.bsky.social and I discussed this and turned it into a collaboration. I shared 5 mindset shifts that helped me grow from engineer to leader. Read the full article here 👇 🔗 newsletter.eng-leadership.com/p/5-mindset-...

Most engineers think leadership is about writing great code. It’s not. You can stand out by: — Thinking beyond their tasks — Owning problems not just fixing them — Managing up & communicating impact Want to get noticed for leadership? Here’s how: www.gabortill.com/key-leadersh...

Tech leads don’t have to be the smartest in the room. They need to: ✔ Ask the right questions ✔ Remove roadblocks ✔ Keep the team focused Leadership isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about making things work.

Tech Leaders Using AI Are Thriving—Are You? AI is reshaping how software teams build, ship, and maintain code. ✅ Meetings are shorter. ✅ Code reviews are faster. ✅ Hiring moves at record speed. Join 1,000+ subscribers software engineers staying ahead with AI 👇 www.gabortill.com/ai-and-tech-...

Most engineers think leadership starts with a title, but it doesn’t. It starts with small actions, like ✅ Take ownership of a problem of feature ✅ Run better meetings ✅ Support teammates when they’re stuck Start leading now, and people will see you as a leader before the title comes.

Too many developers focus on what to learn next. But if you want to get ahead, learn to communicate what you’ve already done. If your boss doesn’t know the impact you’re making, don’t expect a promotion. #EngineeringLeadership #CareerGrowth #DeveloperTips #SoftwareEngineering

Want to move into tech leadership? You don't need to wait for permission. The best leaders start leading before they get the title. — Take ownership of features — Run team discussions — Mentor juniors Do these things, and leadership opportunities find you. #SoftwareEngineering #TechLeadership

Going from senior engineer to tech lead isn’t about getting a title. It's about: - Your team's performance is more important than yours. - Communicate clearly, not just solve problems. - Helping others to improve Which of these do you think is the biggest challenge?

Most software engineers are waiting for someone to give them a leadership role. But who actually gets promoted? The ones who start leading before they get the title. ✅ Mentor a junior ✅ Improve team processes ✅ Take the ownership of a project Lead first to be seen, then the title will follow.

Hi, I’m Gábor. I help software engineers to become tech leaders. Each week, I’ll share leadership tips and lessons I’ve learned. What’s the #1 skill you think a tech lead needs to succeed?

Why Most Tech Leaders Fail to Build Trust—and the 1-Minute Fix Trust isn’t about your skills—it’s how you lead. 🛠 Admit mistakes 🛠 Keep promises 🛠 Be consistent Trust unlocks open communication, faster solutions, and motivated teams.

Early in my career, I thought success was about being the best coder. I learned the hard way that leadership, communication and collaboration matter much more. Key lessons: 1️⃣ Leadership isn’t a title 2️⃣ Clear communication wins 3️⃣ Relationships > code quality Code doesn’t scale careers. People do.