Become An Open Source Master [Part 4] - Open Source Terminology: Projects, Repos, Issues, PRs

We'll focus on GitHub, a popular platform for open-source software, to understand key terms and concepts.

- Projects and repositories (repos) are the core units of open-source projects on GitHub.
- You can view source code, metadata, and community activity within a repository.
- Issues are used to report bugs or request features, while pull requests propose code contributions.
- Pull requests are reviewed and discussed by the community before being accepted into the project.

Connect with James: 

- GitHub: <https://github.com/jamesgpearce>
- Twitter (X): <https://twitter.com/jamespearce>

Grow From Junior To Mid-Level Engineer [Part 15] - Participating In Bigger Meetings

Big meetings can be daunting for engineers, especially junior ones - What if you say something dumb? This lesson teaches you:

- The difference between junior and mid-level engineers when it comes to meeting participation, explained with very simple pictures
- Tactics you can use to come up with more to say in meetings, even if you're the most junior person there
- A clever tactic you can use to participate in a meeting and add value to the discussion, even if you aren't entirely sure of what's going on

Clear Communication For SWEs [Part 15] - Reflection And Practical Exercises

In this video, I provide reflection prompts, practical exercises, and tips for continuous improvement to enhance communication skills. Viewers are encouraged to reflect on recent communications, analyze communication structures, and assess clarity, engagement, listening, adaptability, and feedback. Practical exercises and suggestions for continuous improvement are also shared to help viewers continuously enhance their communication skills.

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

Clear Communication For SWEs [Part 12] - Storytelling For Impact

In this video, I delve into the power of storytelling using Freytag's Pyramid, a framework that structures narratives into five key parts: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. I explain how storytelling enhances communication by making information memorable, engaging, and emotionally resonant, ultimately simplifying complex details and fostering audience connection.

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

Clear Communication For SWEs [Part 4] - What Makes A Message Clear?

In this video, we delve into the key elements of crafting clear messages: simplicity, conciseness, structure, and relevance. I provide examples and tips on how to enhance message clarity, emphasizing the importance of using plain language, getting to the point quickly, organizing thoughts logically, and focusing on essential information. No specific action is requested from viewers, but implementing these strategies can significantly improve communication effectiveness.

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

Clear Communication For SWEs [Part 2] - What Is Clear Communication?

In this video, I delve into the essence of clear communication in software engineering, emphasizing its critical role in project success. I discuss the definition of clear communication, common barriers, and strategies to overcome them. Effective communication ensures team alignment, enhances productivity, and reduces errors. Viewers are encouraged to adapt their communication style for diverse audiences and regularly summarize key points for clarity.

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

Grow From Senior To Staff Engineer [Part 18] - Product Hybrid

As a software engineer, you generally want to evolve past the code. There is 1 group of staff engineers who take that to the extreme. This lesson teaches you:

- What the product hybrid staff engineer archetype is
- The exact expectations of a product hybrid staff engineer
- How software engineers are uniquely positioned to hybridize as product managers
- Why most tech companies don't support the product hybrid archetype
- How to become a product hybrid staff engineer

Learn to sharpen your product sense with these resources: [\[Taro Top 10\] Product Management For Engineers](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/66TyB60SRRmdnm0jmf55/)

Grow From Senior To Staff Engineer [Part 13] - Bring Teams Together

Just because you're leading a team's worth of engineers doesn't mean that you're a staff engineer. This lesson teaches you:

- The difference between senior and staff engineers when it comes to the number of stakeholders on their projects
- The difference between senior and staff engineers when it comes to the depth of their XFN (cross-functional) collaboration
- How to align multiple teams, even those you aren't very familiar with

Grow From Senior To Staff Engineer [Part 12] - Become The PM Right Hand

As a staff engineer, you need to have far more influence on the direction of the product, especially if you work on a product-facing team. This lesson teaches you:

- The difference in the depth of collaboration with the product manager between a senior engineer and a staff engineer
- Why staff engineers often need to partner closely with their product manager
- Which teams place more value on the engineer &lt;-&gt; product manager relationship
- What you should do to deepen your relationship between you and your product manager

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

As a senior engineer, you can work hard and do everything right and still not have a real case to get promoted to staff engineer. This lesson teaches you:

- Why certain teams are far better for a staff engineer promotion than others
- What you need on a team from a seniority perspective to get to staff
- Why it's important for a team to have engineers more junior than you to grow to staff

Asking Great Questions [Part 14] - What Have You Tried?

If you don't do it right, asking questions can seriously damage your reputation among the team and mark you as a low-performer. This lesson teaches you:

- Why engineers in particular are extremely allergic to low-quality questions
- How low-quality questions can put you in the target of a PIP (performance improvement plan)
- A simple way to identify if a question is low-quality or high-quality based on its overall vibe
- 3 core tactics you should try if possible before asking a question
- What it means to masterfully incorporate what you've tried into a question, explained with an incredibly in-depth example

Asking Great Questions [Part 7] - Diversify Your Asks

It is tempting to stick with what you know. When it comes to asking questions, this means asking the same person again and again after they have helped you before. However, this isn't the way to go when it comes to your growth. This lesson teaches you:

- How repeatedly getting help from just 1 person can strain your relationship with them
- The tech industry-specific danger of only having 1 person to answer your questions
- The tactical survival benefit of diversifying the pool of people you ask questions to
- How getting help from a lot of people builds up a huge career asset with long-term social capital, which is crucial for more senior engineers

[Become A Go-To Person 10/18] Expert Formula Exercise

["Become an expert" template](https://jordancutler.notion.site/Become-an-expert-template-80b8a2dc2c7148bea01d2180adf1c9bb)

A course by [Jordan Cutler](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordancutler1/), Senior Software Engineer at Pinterest and Author of the [High Growth Engineer Newsletter](https://read.highgrowthengineer.com/)

Tech Lead Blueprint 8/17 - Delegating The Work

Connect with Lalit on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/lalitkundu/>

Tech Lead Blueprint 5/17 - TL Duties

Tech Lead Blueprint 2/17 - Course Structure

Startup Employee To Startup Founder: What I Wish I Knew

From 2013 to 2023, Tongbo Huang worked as an engineer or manager at three high-growth companies: Pinterest, Chekr, and Amplitude.

After 10 years working in startups of various sizes, Tongo decided to start his own: [**Sidr Tax**](https://www.sidr.io/). In the past year, Sidr Tax has surpassed 6 figures of revenue and is growing rapidly.

In this talk, Tongbo will share:

- How he thought about taking funding (he previously went through Y Combinator) and why he decided to bootstrap for Sidr.
- How he ended up working on a tax startup and how Shopify is fueling his growth.
- The problem with founders today looking for "exciting" ideas.

Connect with Tongbo here: [**https://www.linkedin.com/in/tongbohuang/**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tongbohuang/)

\[Taro Top 10\] Entrepreneurship And Tech Startups: <https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/ArtlSzF17v7cad1K6TJG/>

How To Be An Effective Tech Lead [Part 8] - Foster Technical Innovation

As a tech lead, your job isn't only to deliver what's on the table now but figure out what should be on the table in the future. This lesson teaches you:

- A classic mechanism to foster discussion around technical innovation
- The logistics behind brown bag sessions and how to run an effective one

How To Be An Effective Tech Lead [Part 7] - System Design Discussions

In order to build high-quality software, you need to go through the process of system design. As a tech lead, you are expected to play a major role in this process. This lesson teaches you:

- What to avoid when participating in system design meetings (i.e. how to not add negative value)
- The overall principles to be helpful in system design discussions
- How to make yourself better at system design through relationship building
- Tactics to provide better input in system design discussions, even if you're not incredibly familiar with the underlying domain

To learn how to write a stellar tech review doc: [\[Course\] System Design Masterclass: Shipping Real Features To Production](https://www.jointaro.com/course/frontend-system-design-masterclass-building-playlists/)

Maximizing a Severance Package 4/9 - Never Accept on the Spot

During a termination, don't sign anything on the spot. **Buy time.** Buy time to do your research, to prepare, and to come back and negotiate.

- 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)

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.