[Distributed Systems Deep Dive] Design a KV such as Dynamo DB

This is a session on DynamoDB if you're looking to understand how to design a distributed key-value stores. We'll start with what DynamoDB is and why people are using it. Expect a run-through of its architecture and a straightforward explanation of how data gets sliced for efficiency. We'll also cover what happens when things go south and how DynamoDB keeps data consistent and up-to-date as well as the pros and cons.

If you write code and care about making it scale, this will be worth your time.\
\
**Dynamo Basics:** Understand what DynamoDB is built for and when to use it over other databases.

1. **Architecture:** Get to grips with DynamoDB's architecture - how it's built to scale effortlessly and provide consistent performance.

2. **Data Handling:** Learn about partitioning strategies that spread data across nodes effectively and replication techniques that prevent data loss.

3. **Resolving Conflicts:** Master vector clocks for resolving data conflicts in a system designed for eventual consistency.

4. **Operational Workflow:** Gain insight into the lifecycle of 'put' and 'get' operations and how DynamoDB handles data under the hood.

5. **Merkle Trees:** Understand how DynamoDB uses Merkle trees to synchronize data across distributed systems efficiently.

6. **Gossip Protocol:** Learn the workings of the gossip protocol for node communication and how it contributes to DynamoDB's robustness.

Thanks to [Alex Poon](https://www.linkedin.com/in/thealexpoon/) for leading this session!

Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer [Part 9] - Focus, Focus, Focus

A lot of software engineers falsely believe that having every tech stack ever on your resume means that you are the perfect interview candidate as you qualify for the most jobs. The reverse is actually true, and championing that strategy leads to massive gains in both your code quality and job prospects. This lesson will teach you:

- The real recipe for being highly paid and easily hired as a software engineer
- Signs that you have become a true technical master in your domain and are now ready to move on to other tech stacks
- How to structure your journey as an earlier-in-career software engineer (5 years of experience or less)
- How to navigate the junior engineer career trap that is "full-stack" engineer
- What hiring managers look for in engineering candidates, especially at Big Tech
- The overall technical mastery trajectory for software engineers and how you can reach the top
- Why focus is so important for your longer-term learning as a software engineer

The Journey to Staff Engineer In Big Tech - Q&A

This is the Q&A portion of the Staff Engineer Panel discussion. Watch the [main content here](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/SaYyJGLYvrAy4XGrDhy7/the-journey-to-staff-engineer-in-big-tech-panel-discussion/).

The journey to Staff Engineer is unique for everybody. In this session, we talk about all the ways we got there! Senior Engineer is a terminal level at most tech companies. 

Staff Engineer is the next level up. This is referred to as Staff at Meta/Google, or Principal Engineer at Amazon/Microsoft. 

Questions answered in the video: 
- I'm making a career change into Software Engineering -- what advice would you have? I want to get into Augmented/Virtual Reality.
- I'm already a Staff Engineer, but I'm struggling with performance management. What advice would you have to exceed expectations?
- What resources would you recommend to improve at communication? What is an effective way to find a mentor?
- I'd like to first become a Tech Lead (TL) and then transition into a Staff Engineer role. What advice would you have for me?
- I'm a Data Engineer (DE) and big fan of Zach! How do I show the impact of my work to a manager who may be unfamiliar, especially since I don't do frontend?

See discussions about Staff Engineers on Taro: [https://www.jointaro.com/topic/staff-engineer/](https://www.jointaro.com/topic/staff-engineer/)

Publicly available promotion stories:
- [Ryan's Instagram video processing improvements](https://engineering.fb.com/2022/11/04/video-engineering/instagram-video-processing-encoding-reduction/)
- [Rahul's internal tool for debugging](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/qvp2quodqAEWSkN7sayt/case-study-building-a-meta-internal-tool-to-empower-an-entire-org-staff-promotion-story/)

Panelists:
- [Zach Wilson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eczachly/)
- [Rahul Pandey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rpandey1234/)
- [Carly Taylor](https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-taylor-data/)
- [Lee McKeeman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lmckeeman/)
- [Ryan Peterman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlpeterman/)

[Case Study] Maximizing SWE Growth: Ownership and Specialization At Startups

**Huge** thanks to [Henry Prior](https://www.linkedin.com/in/henryprior/) for joining us and sharing his perspective and insights!

This was a *massive* session, so here are just some of the highlights:
- **Henry's core learning**: Bias towards action. You aren't really going to truly understand what is and what isn't fruitful to you until you just start trying things.
- **Story #1** - At his first startup job, Henry found a project to upgrade from Tensorflow 1 to 2. This ended up moving the metric he cared about, but he found out later that the business impact wasn't great. The company's clients were non-technical and didn't really care about the company's model being ultra-accurate.
- **Story #2** - Found a reinforcement learning project at his next company where he did all the modeling on his own and worked closely with an infra engineer to ship. The work was very complex and had huge impact, saving ~25 hours per week in Data Scientist cycles. He got massive recognition from the company, and this project was a big part of his move to senior.
- You have a lot of autonomy in early stage startups. Take advantage of this and actively look for large problems to solve, doing so as early as the interview process. It's not like Big Tech where you are generally given a good amount of direction on what to do (at least until you get to staff).
- *It's in your best interest to be completely authentic when interviewing with a startup.* It's not like Big Tech where you're putting on a facade to meet their interview requirements. A startup might not be the right for you due to a lack of work in your interest area: Big Tech in contrast has a little bit of everything.
- *If you're going to get into machine learning, you should understand the underlying math first.* This puts you in a much better position to work on the modeling part of ML vs. the more tertiary tasks like data wrangling. The math is a combination of probability/statistics, linear algebra, and calculus.
- **You can't study your way to being good at system design.** Resources like books and blog posts help, but system design is something you very much have to get good at by doing. Instead of just leaping into the code, start planning out your tasks and doing technical writing. From there, share your material with your team and get feedback.

Related resources:
- ["What's the difference between Big Tech and startups in terms of learning and growth?"](https://link.jointaro.com/yzWgzTF4WFzfXjS29)
- ["Does it make sense for me to choose a specialization like ML? If so, what's the impact?"](https://link.jointaro.com/jV34Jz7cJqQv2MpD8)

Why Great Engineering Managers Are Like Captain America

There is far more to software engineering than shipping code. A truly effective engineering manager needs to step up with these issues to protect the team.

Here are the core points from the video:
- **A good engineering manager is a shield** - In particular, engineering managers should handle non-technical issues like politics and organizational thrash, abstracting that pain away from their engineers so they have the clarity to execute.
- **Alex's Manager Shielding Story** - When Alex joined his team at Robinhood, the product roadmap wasn't very clear. There definitely wasn't enough well scoped out work for the team to work on. To shield the team from this product direction thrash, he created a high-impact infrastructure project for the team to work on, giving them the scope necessary to not get destroyed in performance review from doing nothing.

If you're interested in how Alex led that Robinhood infrastructure project despite being new to the company, watch his case study about it here: [[Case Study] Becoming A Tech Lead Again In Just 1 Month After Joining Robinhood From Meta](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/X8vpfJooDpsX915ouC00/case-study-becoming-a-tech-lead-again-in-just-1-month-after-joining-robinhood-from-meta/)

Related resources:
- [[Masterclass] What Software Engineers Should Look For In Their Engineering Manager](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/oeY7ncZhzJ5NO6dij5e7/masterclass-what-software-engineers-should-look-for-in-their-engineering-manager/) - The full video this clip was taken from
- [How Do Effective Engineering Leaders Help Their Teams Achieve More?](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/xGJDCG7VL4hcZaq5XL92/how-do-effective-engineering-leaders-help-their-teams-achieve-more/)
- ["How possible is it to spot red flags about toxic culture during the interview?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/1JwmhC3Nh9Ku0fkDL1bq/how-possible-is-it-to-spot-red-flags-about-toxic-culture-during-the-interview/)

Why Becoming A Good Engineering Manager Is So Hard

Related resources:
- [[Taro Top 10] Software Engineer To Engineering Manager (IC -> M Track)](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/oz0mnJvHHgM8NfVF7rgp/)
- [[Case Study] Mentoring Junior SWEs [E3] to Senior [E5] In Just 2.5 Years At Meta](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/EX9563YnxcJb62cCmetg/case-study-mentoring-junior-swes-e3-to-senior-e5-in-just-25-years-at-meta/)

This Is What A Good Code Review Test Plan Looks Like

In this segment, we highlight a real-world example of an **exceptional test plan** that showcases how thoughtful demos not only validate functionality but also build confidence and trust before a single line of code is reviewed.

### Key Takeaways:

- **We use test plans to demonstrate functionality and edge cases**: In this example from the Random Name Picker app, the test plan includes both the core feature (removing images from names) and handling an edge case (screen rotation), showing completeness and attention to detail.
- **We treat test plans as trust tokens**: A strong demo assures reviewers that the author has thoroughly tested their changes, reducing fear or hesitation around approving the diff.
- **We provide a positive starting point for reviewers**: Watching the video demo first puts reviewers in the right mindset—making them feel confident that the code works as intended, even before reading the diff.
- **We recommend test plans for all product-facing diffs**: Especially when there’s a visual or user-facing component, attaching a video or GIF dramatically improves understanding and quality of collaboration.
- **We invest a few minutes to add a lot of value**: Creating a short demo takes just 5–10 minutes, but it adds context, transparency, and professionalism that elevate the entire code review experience.

Don't Waste Your 1 on 1s. Build The Relationship

Why should you build the relationship in 1 on 1 meetings?

True or false: Small talk is okay in 1 on 1 meetings to break the ice and learn more about the other person's life outside of work.

Why are deep relationships needed in tech, especially at senior levels?

Growth And Promotion 3/6: The Career Growth Recipe

The Magic Loop of Rapid Career Growth: a tested, simple process to grow your career. The “Career Growth Recipe” outlines a simple loop of five steps to advance your career: do your job well, ask how to help, fulfill requests, set goals, and repeat.

- 🎩 The Power of the Magic Loop: This framework emphasizes a collaborative approach to career advancement, fostering mutual support between employees and managers. By centering on shared goals, individuals can navigate their career paths more effectively.
- ✅ Performance Matters: Success starts with delivering exceptional work. Regularly assessing your performance through feedback can illuminate areas for improvement and reinforce your value in the workplace.
- 🤝 Building Relationships: Asking how to help is a proactive strategy that not only strengthens relationships with leadership but also positions you as a valuable team member willing to contribute beyond your immediate responsibilities.
- 🔄 Commitment to Tasks: Following through on tasks assigned by your boss demonstrates reliability. This commitment can pay off in terms of trust and future opportunities, making you a preferred team member for significant projects.
- 🎯 Goal-Oriented Conversations: Once trust is established, discussing your career goals with superiors can lead to tailored support for your ambitions, fostering a clear path to advancement.
- 📈 Continuous Learning: Embracing feedback as a tool for growth is crucial. It helps you identify blind spots and improve your performance, making you a stronger candidate for future opportunities.
- 💡 Adaptability and Initiative: Taking on tasks outside your comfort zone and asking for help when needed not only aids personal growth but also enhances your skill set, making you more versatile in your career.

Starting at Amazon as a Senior Manager, then Director, then Vice President, Ethan has decades of experience at top tech companies. This career growth course is developed from his own knowledge and input from his extensive network of fellow coaches and executives.

- Connect with [**Ethan on LinkedIn**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanevansvp/)
- Taro members get a discount to join [Ethan's Level Up community](https://levelupwithethanevans.substack.com/taro25)

Top System Design Interview Mistakes [Part 3] - Don't Try to "Prove Seniority"

In system design interviews, trying to prove your seniority by showcasing advanced technical knowledge can backfire if not aligned with the problem at hand. This video emphasizes the importance of focusing on the relevant issues:

- Avoid bringing up complex topics that aren't directly relevant to the current problem
- Demonstration of how a candidate can get sidetracked by discussing hot shards too early
- Focus should be on solving the core problem before diving into specific technical details
- We go through an example of a candidate who thoughtfully considers the actual challenges and bottlenecks before proposing solutions
- Success in system design interviews comes from identifying and addressing the right problems, not just showcasing knowledge

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>

Asking Great Questions [Part 3] - The Key Behind Questions That Don't Suck

There are good questions, and there are bad questions. One of the main ways to thrive as a software engineer is quite simple: *Ask **good** questions*. So how do we do that? This lesson teaches you:

- The key concept behind asking a truly good question
- Why empathy is an engineering superpower in general
- The concrete way to identify a bad question
- The concrete way to identify a good question

Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer [Part 26] - Side Projects & Open-Source

You don't need to work at some fancy FAANG company to learn how to write truly good, high-quality code. Code quality is something that can be improved upon outside of your job and even if you don't have a job! This lesson will teach you:

- The power of **side projects** and **open-source contributions** when it comes to leveling up your technical skills
- How to build side projects that get a ton of users so you can maximize your learning (and your resume strength 💪)
- How to make meaningful open-source contributions that can even get the attention of Big Tech companies

To dig deeper into this topic, go through this thread: ["How to Learn/Practice Clean Code, particularly by oneself?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/6DcTkiS9UJhDkQz1HIAL/how-to-learnpractice-clean-code-particularly-by-oneself/)

Behind the scenes of a $320K → $1.05M negotiation in Silicon Valley

[Yogi Sharma](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yogi1/), an early employee at Facebook, shares an epic story about negotiating a massive compensation increase from his offer at Uber while discovering his true worth in the process.

---

I am a mathematician and engineer at heart, and I hate negotiations. I want people to evaluate the value of my work and pay me accordingly.

That is the mindset I had before this negotiation with a big ride-sharing company that opened my mind to the possibilities of a different way of operating.

In this candid behind-the-scenes conversation, I will discuss the mindset, preparation, and tactics that went into a negotiation (for the role of a SWE) that started at $320k and ended at $1.05M.

Even harder than doing such negotiation was the decision to decline such a lucrative job offer. (Thanks to that decision, I ended up finding my current profession.) Towards the end, I will also share my rationale behind such a seemingly crazy decision.

If you feel you are doing the work needed for a promotion or raise, but don’t seem to get it, this talk is perfect for you. I used to be that person and struggled to get the rewards I thought I deserved. This negotiation changed me deeply, and I hope to share a few insights that would help you too.

Connect with Yogi Sharma: 

- LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/yogi1/> 
- Taro: <https://www.jointaro.com/p/yogi-sharma/>

Managing ADHD as an Engineer

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.

Handling ADHD as an engineer is hard. Juggling job demands, with everyday ADHD struggles, can feel overwhelming. But, you're not alone.

This collaboration between Shimmer and Taro explores the intersection of ADHD and Engineering. You'll see a live conversation between a Shimmer ADHD coach and their engineer client. Alex (coach) and Ashley (student) share how ADHD shows up in the engineering field, along with science-backed strategies to overcome common challenges. 

Some of the common presentations of ADHD: 
- Emotional regulation
- Procrastination
- Establishing routines

Ways to find and keep motivation: 
- Find your drive
- Break it down
- Create accountability
- Utilize external motivation

Energy and time management: 
- Know when your energy fluctuates
- Determine the level of cognitive effort for a task
- Use the minimum amount of cognitive effort necessary

Understand the front-end and back-end of procrastination: 
- **Front-end**: conditions must be perfect to get started, lack of direction/motivation, underestimating time needed
- **Back-end**: perfectionism, loss of novelty, fear of feedback, waiting for the final push

Get Shimmer through Taro Perks for a discount: [joinTaro.com/perks](https://www.jointaro.com/perks/)

[Case Study] Building An App With 1,000,000+ Users To Get Into Facebook

If you want to hear an in-depth \~30 minute breakdown of Alex's entire journey getting the Facebook offer, watch our video here: [How Alex Got Into Meta With 0 Prior LeetCode Experience](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/ZYiTbN21FsqFxFdpwt5a/how-alex-got-into-meta-with-0-prior-leetcode-experience/)

To learn more about how to build effective side projects, check out these resources:
- [[Masterclass] How To Come Up With 100k+ Users App Ideas You Can Build For Free](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/AI4zi759PSGn6RwIFT6f/masterclass-how-to-come-up-with-100k-users-app-ideas-you-can-build-for-free/)
- [[Masterclass] How To Build And Grow Tech Products To 500k+ Users For Free](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/OEuX0KMhcnNSTJ50Voee/masterclass-how-to-build-and-grow-tech-products-to-500k-users-for-free/)
- ["How Long to Crank Out a Decent Side Project?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/QA6lCGdPpwAd3xRrpjZ7/how-long-to-crank-out-a-decent-side-project/)
- [How Alex Made An App That Got 80k+ Users In 1 Month](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/GlSjjLhuUdHt5drq3l5F/how-alex-made-an-app-that-got-80k-users-in-1-month/)
- [Presentation slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MJU_LPnfc_QEu7386eSFvIbopG2VVUE3lTzkA458bYU/edit?usp=sharing)

If you want to dive deeper into the Random Name Picker app:
- [Download it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.randomappsinc.studentpicker)
- [GitHub Source Code](https://github.com/Gear61/Random-Name-Picker)

How To Navigate Pivotal Points In Your Tech Career - By Casey Dai

[Casey Dai](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseydai/) is a Head of Engineering at Capgemini, leading Data Engineerings and ML Ops. On top of that, he has a rich history of tech leadership across Manulife and Accenture.

To learn more from Casey, connect with him on LinkedIn: [Casey's LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseydai/)

Here's some of the incredible career wisdom Casey has shared on Taro:
- ["How do I choose whether to become a people manager or continue to be an individual contributor?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/aMvbV6SUjdDaU8RftQk5/how-do-i-choose-whether-to-become-a-people-manager-or-continue-to-be-an-individual-contributor/)
- ["How to make communication succinct and more impactful?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/QDLV5owweJveRLlspOdc/how-to-make-communication-succinct-and-more-impactful/)
- ["Why would a senior make themselves replaceable?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/b5eUTVq4m9ANQ5QCUc3q/why-would-a-senior-make-themselves-replaceable/)
- ["How to get into networking as a fresher?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/2Ld9u7f4pVcm36cj1P36/how-to-get-into-networking-as-a-fresher/)
- ["How to get interview calls?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/MOCBUYFhyn7Yv5ZF7qBU/how-to-get-interview-calls/)

The Biggest Benefit Of Working At Big Tech - Learning Proper Engineering Skills

We all know how powerful Big Tech is when it comes to its top-of-market compensation and resume power. However, there is a much bigger long-term benefit these prestigious companies have when it comes to software engineers.

Here are the core points from the video:
- **Big Tech is stellar at teaching proper engineering** - You simply can't reach 100 million+ users without being great at software engineering. These companies have the experience and history to show software engineers how things should be done.
- **You will be pushed to be better** - Big Tech invests billions in hiring the absolute best tech talent in the world. In order to ship quality products at scale, these engineers push each other constantly to do the right thing. When you work at Big Tech, you become a part of this process and peer pressure.
- Here are just some of the ways this learning manifests:
  - Thorough release process with staged rollout and deep analytics
  - Code review where you get tons of comments on how to improve
  - Great internal tooling showing you what parts of the engineering experience can be made seamless

Related resources:
- ["How do I get better at building Large scale systems without working directly on such projects?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/k9MR0UBCtVXvyZrOdPLw/how-do-i-get-better-at-building-large-scale-systems-without-working-directly-on-such-projects/)
- ["How to Learn/Practice Clean Code, particularly by oneself?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/6DcTkiS9UJhDkQz1HIAL/how-to-learnpractice-clean-code-particularly-by-oneself/)
- ["What are the best resources to learn system design in a structured way?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/SeCsb4IRTijs2hg4XHxo/what-are-the-best-resources-to-learn-system-design-in-a-structured-way/)

The First Thing You Need To Do To Set Yourself Up For Promotion

Which of the following is the foundation for your promotion plan?

Why is understanding your strengths so important towards your tech career growth?

Easy Tactics You Can Apply Today To Increase Your Focus

Which of these are valid tactics to minimize the distraction from your phone?

True or false: As an engineer, it is important for you to attend every possible meeting so you can know everything that is going on, therefore empowering your productivity.

As a software engineer, why is it crucial to reject meetings when possible?

Maximize your focus and productivity as a software engineer by minimizing any distractions.

Easily Level Up All Your Meetings By Taking Notes

What is the most straightforward way to level up a meeting?

True or false: Maintaining a good set of meeting notes can help you substantially with promotion.

Which of the following are benefits of maintaining meeting notes?

Meetings are extremely expensive, because they take time. To make sure that you're not wasting time with your meetings, you should always be doing the simple yet effective task of taking notes.

Here are the core points from the video:
- **For recurring meetings, maintain a running doc** - This applies especially to 1 on 1s and team meetings. *If you're not talking during a meeting, you should be writing*. These notes allow everyone in the meeting to quickly absorb prior context and hit the ground running in the current meeting.
- **Come into every meeting with a written agenda** - >24 hours before the meeting, write down an agenda into the meeting notes doc and let the other other in the meeting know. This will anchor the discussion to minimize its chances of going off-track and shows great initiative on your end. 

Related resources:
- [[Masterclass] How To Get Promoted Faster In Tech](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/W730BOdrfAIXAEVd8HUf/masterclass-how-to-get-promoted-faster-in-tech/) - The promotion talk referenced in the video
- ["How can I be more active in meetings and earn the respect of senior engineers?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/RtISfsqipLWBhZxvyl69/how-can-i-be-more-active-in-meetings-and-earn-the-respect-of-senior-engineers/)
- ["How to hold people accountable for Action Items/decisions from meetings?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/Jh8xg2KYi9utvUv9jUeO/how-to-hold-people-accountable-for-action-itemsdecisions-from-meetings/)

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.