Grow From Mid-Level To Senior Engineer [Part 5] - Finding The Right Team

Not every engineering team can support an additional senior engineer. This lesson teaches you:

- What to look for in terms of product scope when choosing an engineering team to grow to senior
- The people ingredients of a team that's good for senior promotion
- Exactly what a great team for senior promotion looks like

To dive deeper into how to find a great team for senior promotion, check out the discussion here: ["What questions can I ask a potential new team?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/dLS6KcDwKNdMDlJwYdBw/what-questions-can-i-ask-a-potential-new-team/)

Top System Design Interview Mistakes [Part 8] - Don't Make Arbitrary Decisions

This video discusses the importance of explaining technical decisions during interviews. Key points include:

- Candidates often make arbitrary choices without justification, missing opportunities for self-correction or valuable discussion
- We go through an example contrasts a poor response (choosing a database without explanation) with an improved one (considering options thoroughly)
- If a decision is worth stating, it's worth defending
- **Concluding tips:** Ask questions, document as you go, and always show your work for technical decisions

If you need extra help with your system design interview, [Formation.dev](https://formation.dev/partners/taro) can provide you hands-on, personalized support. Join us here: <https://formation.dev/partners/taro>

SWE Internship Survival Guide [Part 1] - How This Course Works

Are the projects on your resume not helping you at all when it comes to impressing hiring managers and getting job opportunities? Let's fix that. Here are the core parts of the lesson:

- Your instructor [**Rahul Pandey**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rpandey1234/) walks you through his extensive 10+ year Silicon Valley background with rapid career advancement, ending up as a high-performing Staff Engineer \[E6\]/Engineering Manager \[M1\] at Meta. Most importantly, he goes through how he's mentored interns at top companies like Pinterest and Meta
- Rahul breaks down his extensive personal internship journey featuring 4 (!!!) internships, ranging from a small startup (Shop It To Me) to a mid-sized company (Marin Software) to a historical giant (Walmart) to FAANG (Meta)
- We walk you through the course objectives. By the end of the course, you will understand:
  - ⛰️ Understand how internships work at top companies
  - 🧠 Establish the right mindset to succeed
  - ⚙️ Clarify technical skill expectations
  - 🗣️ Know the critical, underappreciated soft skills interns need
  - 💪 Generate a list of concrete action items to prepare and improve

3 Ways To Write Deeper, More Impactful Code Review Comments

In this video, we explore how to give more impactful code reviews by moving beyond surface-level feedback and investing in deeper understanding and learning from experienced peers. The focus is on practical habits that help us become more thoughtful, effective reviewers.

- **We rely on automation for style and formatting.** It's not our job to catch syntax or stylistic issues—those should be handled by IDEs and CI systems with pre-agreed style rules.
- **We review code with a clear perspective.** Before reading the diff, we mentally plan how *we* would solve the same problem, which helps us offer more meaningful, constructive feedback beyond just approving what “looks fine.”
- **We learn by watching the best.** One of the fastest ways to improve as reviewers is to observe how senior engineers reject code—what they flag, how they communicate, and the patterns they look for.
- **We replicate good habits.** By studying thoughtful reviewers—like those who consistently flag performance issues like mobile frame drops—we can develop our own review instincts and level up faster.
- **We treat reviewing as an intentional skill.** There are no shortcuts; it takes practice, pattern recognition, and curiosity to become great at it. But by mimicking smart peers, we shortcut years of trial and error.

Effective Communication Guide [Part 4] - Resolving Disagreements

- **Your goal with a disagreement isn't to prove that your side is correct; it's actually the opposite - Try to tear down your own argument.**
- Don't view the situation as a "Us vs. Them" mentality. It's not a debate that you have to "win". If you come in with this mentality, the other side will respond in kind, and you will never get anything done.
- Acknowledge the operating principles and incentives of the other side, and try to weave them into your approach as well.
- Example: Your designer proposes beautiful but overly ambitious design that cannot be done on the current aggressive build timeline.
  - Bad: "We don't have enough time to build these designs, so let's toss them out."
  - Good: "These designs look amazing! However, the timeline is pretty tight, so we may not be able to get everything within them. Can we get the low-hanging fruit with this intermediate state design to hit the ship goal, and then we can get the remaining design extras as a fast-follow? I really want to bring all these aesthetics to life, but I want to make sure we hit the deadline as well."
- Be comfortable with compromise and reaching a middle-ground that imbues something from both sides. It's possible that the other perspective is completely incorrect, but this will be very rare as people in tech are generally pretty smart. *You should very rarely treat your approach as one where compromise cannot be made at all.*

Maximize Your Productivity As A Software Engineer [Part 6] - Social Pressure > Work Pressure

Too many software engineers focus on finding something cool to work on instead of finding cool people to work with. This lesson teaches you:

- Why a supportive team is far more valuable and effective when it comes to making you productivity compared to working on something shiny like genAI
- Tactics you can use to apply social pressure to yourself and enforce productivity

Learn how to find a good team here: [\[Taro Top 10\] How To Find A Good Engineering Team And Company](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/FWqTGeZYrXFohCOU38sR/)

Effective Communication Guide [Part 3.2] - Deep Listening

- *Communication isn't just how you share information, it's also about how you take in information.*
- It is crucial to listen intently, especially during 1 on 1s. A lot of people don't realize that there's a large skill range when it comes to listening.
- How to show that you're engaged:
  - Lean in
  - Nod to acknowledge core points
  - For something heavier, you can say "Mmhmm".
- A very powerful way to gain trust is to listen to people's problems and acknowledge them. A lot of people when they're faced with a problem, their initial goal isn't to actually solve the problem: It's just to find someone who will listen to their pain and feel less alone.
  - Just saying something along the lines of "Dang, that sucks" can go a long way.
  - Letting someone know that you have also faced this problem is also very effective. It builds solidarity and can help combat imposter syndrome as a lot of people are afraid that they are the only one facing the problem they have due to their own lack of ability.
- Revel in people's wins with them! Respond to people's excitement and positive energy with your own.

How To Find Your Path Among The Countless Paths In Tech

As an early-career engineer, it can be overwhelming to figure out what technology to learn and which domain to dive into. In this video, Airbnb Director of Engineering [Rachel Zhao](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelzhao/) walks through the framework you can use to find your path.

The key to finding your passion is: 
1. Explore and refine. Give yourself some time + space to try adjacent areas.
2. Reflect on the various activities you do: What sparks joy? Think about both technical and non-technical activities.

If you want to learn more about this topic:
- [Figuring Out The Best Company To Join As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/Nqs0U6rt2qFyXKSZurTh/figuring-out-the-best-company-to-join-as-a-software-engineer/) - The former VP of Engineering of unicorn startup Mixpanel shares his thoughts here.
- [This Is How Software Engineers Should Initially Learn](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/wUl3hc2wr1ms493bd23b/this-is-how-software-engineers-should-initially-learn/) - This video covers how earlier-in-career engineers mess up their learning.

This Is Why Most Engineering Managers Are Terrible

Let's not mince words: Most engineering managers suck. But why is that? This video covers:

- Why the incentives don't align between engineering managers and engineers
- What the best tech companies like FAANG do to make their engineering managers not suck (i.e. make them align the incentives between management and ICs)
- How the absolute best engineering managers balance the responsibilities of leadership with the needs of their team in a healthy way

To learn more about the software engineering -&gt; engineering manager transition, check out our playlist: [\[Taro Top 10\] Software Engineer To Engineering Manager (IC -&gt; M Track)](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/oz0mnJvHHgM8NfVF7rgp/)

20 Years Of Fighting Procrastination [Part 14] - Reflect

Reflecting regularly is a powerful habit that can dramatically improve your productivity and self-awareness. Here are the core points from the lesson:

- Daily micro-reflections and bi-weekly deep dives help you identify patterns in when and why you're productive or struggling
- Documenting reflections as written artifacts (e.g. notes or voice memos) forces clarity and gives you useful data over time
- Review both the nature of your work and the relationships that support or hinder your progress—productivity often depends on collaboration
- You can keep reflections private, share them with a manager, or even make them public to foster accountability and gain feedback from others

Clear Communication For SWEs [Part 1] - Welcome And Course Overview

Hi everybody, I'm Ryan, and in this course, we'll cover the foundations of clear communication, practical exercises, advanced techniques, and how to adapt as a software engineer. By the end, you'll be equipped to communicate effectively within your team and with other builders. Expect to understand core elements of clear communication, develop a good communicator mindset, and master practical communication structures. Tailor your messages for different audiences and apply these techniques immediately. Join me on this journey to enhance your communication skills!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-wiens/>

[Masterclass] What Software Engineers Should Look For In Their Engineering Manager

Related resources:
- [Voicing Your Problems And Frustrations Productively](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/elIKuK5Ody0xzVNmdnsR/voicing-your-problems-and-frustrations-productively/)
- ["My manager and I don't see eye-to-eye. How can I improve this relationship?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/WWuU0HRpNu90J638iJPs/my-manager-and-i-dont-see-eye-to-eye-how-can-i-improve-this-relationship/)
- [Presentation Slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Hk6oEtLAKBKI3jF5SvB7bPGZHZMoxx79VJIoA3N3Bk4/edit?usp=sharing)

PIP In Big Tech -- Amazon, Meta, Google

In this section, we cover the path for employees to enter a PIP for three Big Tech companies — Amazon, Meta, and Google.

At **Amazon**, the poor performance rating is called **Needs Improvement (NI)**. Poor performers are put on a Focus, which is a development plan to get back on track. Think of it like a warning. If the focus does not do well, the employee is put on a Pivot, at which point the options are to leave the company or accept a PIP. Learn more here: <https://www.jointaro.com/topic/amazon/performance-review/>

At **Meta**, the poor performance rating is called **Meets Some (MS)** or **Meets All (MA)** Expectations. If the HRBP (Human Resources Business Partner) is part of your review meeting, a PIP is likely. One unique policy of Meta is something called "up or out." This requires engineers to get promoted every few years until hitting Senior Engineer \[E5\]. Learn more at <https://www.jointaro.com/topic/meta/performance-review/>

At **Google**, the poor performance rating is called **Not Enough Impact (NI)** or **Moderate Impact (MI).** A "Support check-in" indicates poor performance and candidate for a PIP. Google is generally more laid-back when it comes to performance compared to other companies. Learn more here: <https://www.jointaro.com/topic/google/performance-review/>

20 Years Of Fighting Procrastination [Part 4] - The Most Important Productivity Tip Nobody Follows

Productivity isn't just about doing things faster - That’s only half the story. Here are the core points from the lesson:

- Productivity isn't just about efficiency, it's about working efficiently on *important* tasks that actually move the needle
- Prioritization requires painful trade-offs—you must let go of low-impact activities even if they're easy, fun, or popular
- Define your personal values and consciously deprioritize areas that don’t align with them, like staying updated on politics or reading a book a week
- A simple yet powerful framework for teams is evaluating tasks based on impact and time required, then prioritizing high-impact, low-time work first

What's Changing With AI-Assisted Coding Interviews?

In this lesson we talk about the rise of AI-assisted coding interviews and how they are changing the technical interview landscape.

- **Understand the new AI-assisted coding interview format:** Learn how modern interviews place you in a lightweight codebase (not a blank file) with existing helper functions, tests, and to-dos—plus an integrated AI chat panel that can access and assist with your code.
- **Navigate increased problem complexity:** Explore how today’s interviews include more substantial starter code, realistic product requirements (e.g., time zones), and sometimes more advanced algorithms and data structures—reflecting real engineering work.
- **Collaborate effectively with AI while staying in control:** Discover best practices for using the built-in AI strategically, communicating your thinking clearly, and maintaining ownership of the solution in a rapidly evolving interview landscape.

System Design Series: Taro Playlists [Part 10] - This Is Just The Beginning

Congratulations, you made it to the end of our **system design** series! If you liked this series and want to see more like it, give this video and all the others in the playlist a like!

You can find the full [system design doc here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/15WaM8Ojan82g0m2mtz6kC2Hiyj0Q6VbjfqRmVNDI3qw/edit?usp=sharing) - Feel free to use it as a template for when you are working through a **system design** at your job!

Here are the core points from the video:
- Creating the **system design** doc is just the 1st step of the process: The next step is getting aligned from the team!
- Here are the steps to get strong alignment and the technical and overall product direction on a project:
  - Time-box the exercise: Have a firm date in mind on when this alignment needs to happen and work backwards from that date.
  - Share the doc with teammates and stakeholders and push them to leave feedback asynchronously. You can directly cc important people on relevant portions for them to look through.
  - Set up a tech review meeting as a forcing function to solidify all the alignment and talk through any remaining points of content. This meeting should probably be 45 minutes or more. Book it far ahead of time as senior+ engineers, tech leads, and managers tend to have very busy schedules.
  - Remind people before the meeting to go through your system design doc beforehand and try to resolve as many threads before the meeting as possible. You might need to do this several times.
- Everything covered in this system design series is effectively a requirement to be a competent senior+ engineer and tech lead, *especially* if you work at FAANG or some other Big Tech company.
- This can all be done reactively as well. If you're working on a small, tightly-knit team with very high synergy (common in startups), raw tribal knowledge and ad-hoc collaboration may be enough to ship projects consistently well. In this case, doing all this probably doesn't make sense. However, if your last couple projects have been pretty rocky, you might want to consider adding all the processes outlined in this series.

If after all this, you're still hungry for more **system design resources**:
- [How To Ace Your Big Tech Interview [System Design]](https://link.jointaro.com/NoVGhFiEErzfh61f6) - This is a full 1.25 hour masterclass, so prepare yourself for a **ton** of knowledge!
- ["How do I get better at building large scale systems without working directly on such projects?"](https://link.jointaro.com/Dm9wE33YC7ffwAPa6) - Question from a Senior Software Engineer at LiveRamp
- ["How to improve on non-technical skills like writing software design document?"](https://link.jointaro.com/T7GCmM4Z4CZhve4y5) - Question from a Mid-Level Software  Engineer at Microsoft
- ["My team has been doing architecture debates for months and we’re in gridlock."](https://link.jointaro.com/Zzx1NRMJFHvtHcvP8) - Question from a Senior Software  Engineer at Google
- ["How can I better contribute to system design discussions on my new team?"](https://link.jointaro.com/FH7ED2533nSTJSRc6) - Question from a Senior Software Engineer at Google

Have The "Meta Conversation"

A "meta conversation" is a **conversation about conversation**. It's a conversation you should have with coworkers to discuss **how** you should communicate.

- How often do you want to meet?
- How often do you want feedback?
- What is your preference for written vs verbal updates, and the format?

You will be working with your manager and team for 100s of hours over the course of a year, so it's worth spending some time at the beginning of the relationship to understand how you can best work together.

Building A Career Without Applying To Jobs (From An Eng Director)

[**Daniel O'Shea**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieloshea22/) is a Director of Engineering at X (formerly Twitter) and a 3x exited founder. He founded Laskie in 2020, a platform to help people understand the job market, find full-time work, and take on moonlight gigs. Daniel built a robust job-matching platform with tens of thousands of candidates. Laskie was the first acquisition by Elon Musk at X (Twitter) in 2023.

Throughout his professional career, **Daniel has never applied to a job**. Instead, he leveraged his network to find opportunities where he had an unfair advantage, and then continued to seek opportunities from his jobs and professional network. Almost all engineers suck at this: sending connection requests on LinkedIn is not enough.

In this talk, Daniel will share tactical advice to better leverage your own network, along with lessons from his professional journey. He'll also share data from seeing 1000s of engineers looking for jobs as part of running Laskie.

- Daniel on LinkedIn: [**https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieloshea22/**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieloshea22/)
- Daniel on X: [**https://twitter.com/oshea**](https://twitter.com/oshea)

Additional expert networking resources:

- [**"How to network effectively in a tech event?"**](https://www.jointaro.com/question/wx6HewLcKbxNRfMBiAAI/how-to-network-effectively-in-a-tech-event/)
- [**"How do you network effectively within a company?"**](https://www.jointaro.com/question/DwT9GtdYK9nwFV3a7jrU/how-do-you-network-effectively-within-a-company/)
- [**\[Masterclass\] How To Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech**](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/tyaPFMXPoz2pmzB7OVzt/masterclass-how-to-build-deep-relationships-quickly-in-tech/)

Grow From Senior To Staff Engineer [Part 7] - Own The Goal

As a senior engineer, you are used to getting large, impactful projects and delivering them well, even if the initial project is incredibly ambiguous. However, this isn't nearly enough to get to staff. This lesson teaches you:

- The difference between senior and staff engineers between what they own on their teams and how staff engineers have a fundamentally higher altitude with their perspective
- What it means to own impact at a staff level instead of a senior, explained with an in-depth example
- The core, high-level behavior shift you need to make from an ownership perspective to grow from senior to staff

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome - You Have So Much More Value Than You Realize

One of the biggest factors holding software engineers back is a simple one: They don't believe in themselves. This is very common in the tech industry where being surrounded by talented peers makes it very easy to end up with a case of imposter syndrome. This video explains why every single person in tech is wrong when they believe they can't add value.

Here are the core points from the video:
- **You can't be alive for 20+ years and not have something to share** - 2 decades is a long time. A lot of people don't believe they can share value when they're early in career, which completely discards all their years prior to their career. It's not like you only started generating value in the world after you embarked on your tech career journey. It is mathematically impossible to have been on planet Earth for so long and not have something cool you can share with others.
- **Believe in yourself** - You are limited by what you think of yourself: If you don't believe that you can offer value, then you won't offer value. The absolute first step to successful networking is recognizing your own potential and feeling empowered to help others.
- **Accessible ways that *anyone* can add value**
  - Interesting experiences
  - Odd talents
  - Learnings from failure
  - Being a friendly face

Related resources:
- ["How can I bridge my confidence gap to put myself out there more and ask for help more aggressively?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/mLKUkNXpLcCxQMfWopqU/how-can-i-bridge-my-confidence-gap-to-put-myself-out-there-more-and-ask-for-help-more-aggressively/)
- ["I've felt imposter syndrome from seeing super talented peers - How do I deal with this?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/MPUkGXFDaBixmxfjOg9i/ive-felt-imposter-syndrome-from-seeing-super-talented-peers-how-do-i-deal-with-this/)

Tech Career Growth Videos

Our instructional videos provide software engineers with insights needed for career growth. Masterclasses go incredibly in-depth on a specific tech topic while case studies are real examples from established engineering leaders.