Becoming a Staff Engineer at Facebook

In this lesson, **Adam Ernst**, Software Engineer at **Meta**, reflects on joining Facebook just before its IPO during the company's pivotal transition from an HTML5-based mobile app to a fully native iOS application. He explains how solving a major scalability challenge with Apple's Core Data framework led to his rapid promotion to Staff Engineer (E6). Adam also shares practical insights on influencing engineering teams without formal authority, driving large-scale architectural change, and building credibility through data, empathy, and hands-on execution.

- **Solving Large-Scale Engineering Challenges:** Adam joined Facebook during the native iOS rewrite and led the replacement of Apple's Core Data with a custom immutable model architecture ("Mem Models") that could scale to support hundreds of engineers and an ever-growing application.
- **Driving Adoption Through Influence:** Rather than relying on authority, Adam convinced teams to adopt the new architecture by understanding their concerns, presenting performance data, communicating face-to-face, and demonstrating why Apple's standard solutions no longer met Meta's scale.
- **Lead by Doing the Work:** One of Adam's most effective leadership strategies was minimizing friction for other teams. By implementing migrations himself and presenting completed solutions for review, he accelerated adoption and built trust across the organization.

Original podcast link: [**https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA_OYJF3Mmw**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA_OYJF3Mmw)

How Managers Hire Great Engineers [Part 5] - How Sourcing Is Unintuitive

All hiring starts off with finding the candidate, otherwise known as sourcing. From this lesson, you will:

- Understand the importance of targeting candidates from companies where your key skills are valued, not just from top-tier tech firms
- Discover how sourcing from the right places can improve long-term retention on your team
- Gain insight into why company brand can be overrated in predicting candidate performance
- Explore how to find candidates who are not only skilled but also a strong cultural fit for your team

Connect with John Egan on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwegan/>

They’re not resisting change. They’re protecting something.

It’s easy to think they’re pushing back just to be difficult.\
But more often, they’re trying to keep something from breaking.

This section slows the moment down.\
Just enough to ask: what might they lose if they say yes?

**Want to go deeper?**

- Explore more tools and courses at [**Taha’s Method**](https://www.tahasmethod.com/) — from interview prep to leadership development.

- Follow me on [**LinkedIn**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tahahussain/) and subscribe to my weekly newsletter, [**The Conscious Leader**](https://tahahussain.substack.com/), for more lessons like these.

- Get 30% off [**Top Tech Leader**](https://bit.ly/tarotopleader) with code **ILOVETARO** (exclusive for Taro members).

The Correct Reason To Become A Manager

[**Ethan Evans**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanevansvp/) is a retired Amazon VP who now coaches managers to break into executive levels. 

Ethan believes the "correct" answer for someone's motivation to becoming a manager should be based on a genuine desire to help and grow other people, rather than on external factors like money or power. People who are motivated by these external factors tend to make poor managers.

The management job is very different from the individual contributor (IC) role. You may be used to learning different technology stacks, but management is about learning an orthogonal "stack" altogether, focused on soft skills and people.

Reflect on your own experiences with good and bad managers -- it's important for managers to have a cohesive style that has a clear set of opinions. This style will not be suitable for everyone, but that's ok. Ethan made the analogy of ice cream flavors. There's no correct ice cream, people will have different preferences in the same way that people will prefer different types of managers. 

Ask yourself (and ideally, test drive) the activities you would do as a manager, things like organizing people's work and holding them accountable.

More to explore:

- [**\[Taro Top 10\] Software Engineer To Engineering Manager (IC -&gt; M Track)**](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/oz0mnJvHHgM8NfVF7rgp/)
- [**How do I figure out whether I should stay as an IC engineer or explore management as an EM?**](https://www.jointaro.com/question/Y6qIop9wpOlCYUL0nGs0/how-do-i-figure-out-whether-i-should-stay-as-an-ic-engineer-or-explore-management-as-an-em/?playlistId=oz0mnJvHHgM8NfVF7rgp)
- [Asking For A Promotion: The Wrong Way vs. The Right Way](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/GvT4NBqaBULFlizarSCf/asking-for-a-promotion-the-wrong-way-vs-the-right-way/)

What sounds like help can feel like control.

At some point, support starts to sound like hovering.\
And it’s hard to see when you’ve crossed that line.

This section takes a closer look at that moment—when helping quietly turns into handling.\
It’s more common than you think. Especially when you care.

**Want to go deeper?**

- Explore more tools and courses at [**Taha’s Method**](https://www.tahasmethod.com/) — from interview prep to leadership development.

- Follow me on [**LinkedIn**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tahahussain/) and subscribe to my weekly newsletter, [**The Conscious Leader**](https://tahahussain.substack.com/), for more lessons like these.

- Get 30% off [**Top Tech Leader**](https://bit.ly/tarotopleader) with code **ILOVETARO** (exclusive for Taro members).

Ethan Evans' Career Path: Startup Manager to Amazon VP

[Ethan Evans](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanevansvp/) is a retired Amazon VP. He shared his career journey starting out during the dot-com boom of the 1990s, quickly ascending as a manager at a string of startups.

**Early Career and Management Path:**

- Ethan started in management early, taking on a TPM role for a small project due to the team's need.
- He was drawn to leadership because the project lacked organization, focus, and communication.
- Ethan was supported by managers and encouraged to continue in the role. He progressed through several startups, growing in each one and reaching VP level by the third.

**Joining Amazon:**

- Ethan was a "fake" startup VP before going getting downleveled as a manager at Amazon, and it took years for him to return to a true VP role, managing a team of 800 people.
- The startup he was at was failing, and Amazon offered more compensation despite being giving a worse title.
- He initially managed a team of six at Amazon, which eventually grew to 800. 

Ethan credits his rapid ascent to:

- Seeing problems and proactively solving them.
- Taking initiative and asking for more responsibility.
- Curiosity and motivation to understand the bigger picture.

More to explore: 

- [\[Taro Top 10\] Software Engineer To Engineering Manager (IC -&gt; M Track)](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/oz0mnJvHHgM8NfVF7rgp/)
- [What's the difference between Big Tech and startups in terms of learning and growth?](https://www.jointaro.com/question/KWXIrFIR1EIJsvdOdo7u/whats-the-difference-between-big-tech-and-startups-in-terms-of-learning-and-growth/)
- [How much am I hurting my career by staying at a startup? (Pressure to work for big tech)](https://www.jointaro.com/question/dqCvmYhI9WE0k33orZEP/how-much-am-i-hurting-my-career-by-staying-at-a-startup-pressure-to-work-for-big-tech/)

Control

In this final phase, we ensure that the gains achieved through improvements don’t erode over time. Control is about sustaining operational excellence, detecting deviations early, and building mechanisms—both human and automated—that keep the system performing at its best.

### Key Takeaways:

- **We implement control mechanisms to preserve gains**: Once we achieve desired service levels, we don’t assume they’ll stay that way. We actively maintain them through tools like regular audits, alarms, and ongoing data validation.
- **The Weekly Business Review (WBR) reinforces control**: Our WBR report includes 200–300 metrics. We review only the outliers, but by tracking all key indicators weekly, we maintain vigilance and are able to quickly detect when something goes off-course.
- **We rely on automation for precision and scalability**: From real-time alarms to machine-driven decision-making, we automate wherever possible. These systems are monitored to ensure they perform within tolerance thresholds.

To dive deeper into Input Metrics Mastery and learn more from Bill and Colin, follow these links:

- Take the full course at their website: <https://workingbackwards.com/>
- Buy the book: <https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595>
- Bill's LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-carr/>
- Colin's LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinbryar/>

Get The Rating You Deserve [Part 12] - Align With Intermediate Picture

**In this video, we discussed the importance of aligning our work with the broader organizational goals.**

To effectively align our efforts, we should:

- **Build relationships with key stakeholders:** Connect with managers, peers, and executives to gain insights into the company's strategic direction.
- **Understand the big picture:** Develop a comprehensive understanding of the organization's goals, challenges, and opportunities.
- **Communicate effectively:** Clearly articulate the impact of our work on the overall business objectives.
- **Embrace a collaborative mindset:** Work closely with others to achieve shared goals and leverage collective expertise.
- **Be proactive:** Take initiative in identifying opportunities to contribute to the organization's success.

By aligning our work with the broader organizational goals, we can increase our visibility, influence, and career opportunities.

If you want to get personalized support from Yogi, you can reach out to him at [coaching@yogisharma.com](mailto:coaching@yogisharma.com) or schedule an introductory call to dive into your situation at <https://tinyurl.com/meetyogi>.

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 16] - Leverage Your Warm Network

In this lesson, Brian emphasizes the importance of leveraging your existing personal network, not just online platforms, to find job opportunities in tech.

This lesson covers:

- Using family, friends, and former colleagues to generate warm leads for software development positions, as many opportunities may exist close to home
- The concept of "seven degrees of separation" to illustrate how connections through your network can lead to valuable job prospects
- How reaching out to people within your network can provide unexpected opportunities, even from places like past jobs or local companies

If you need extra help breaking into tech, join Brian's exclusive, cohort-based bootcamp (just 10 students per batch). Use this special link for $800 off: <https://www.parsity.io/taro>

Connect with Brian on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianjenney/>

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/>

How To Decide To Leave A Company: Generalist to Specialist shift

Philip spent many years at Microsoft, followed by many years at Facebook (Meta). What led him to finally decide to leave each company? 

More to explore: 
- Our masterclass on [How To Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/tyaPFMXPoz2pmzB7OVzt/how-to-build-deep-relationships-quickly-in-tech-12172022/)
- Connect with [Philip Su](https://www.linkedin.com/in/suphilip/)
- [Why Slack Sucks for Team Communication](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/yurIkW9cyU9lkG3FjYnU/what-gets-communicated-gets-done-why-slack-sucks/)

How To Properly Measure Your Data

In this lesson, we explore the essential discipline of **measuring data effectively**, a foundational step in the DMAIC process. Drawing from Amazon’s own journey, we explain why rigorous data management, real-time reporting, and a culture of confronting the brutal facts are key to achieving operational excellence.

### Key Takeaways:

- **We built a disciplined system for data measurement**: Measurement goes far beyond selecting metrics—it requires clean data, reliable pipelines, centralized data warehouses, governance, security, and standardized reporting tools like Tableau or Looker.
- **We invested in an unbiased analytics culture**: Jeff Bezos asked our CFO to form an independent analytics team whose sole job was to uncover the truth, not protect orgs or executives. These analysts had both financial and operational alignment but prioritized integrity in reporting.
- **We created mechanisms to confront reality**: Inspired by Churchill and Jim Collins, we institutionalized a culture of *brutal facts*—establishing metrics and systems that allowed leadership to face problems head-on, rather than hide or distort them.
- **We operationalized this with the Weekly Business Review (WBR)**: The WBR report was auto-generated by 7 a.m. every Monday, standardized, and packed with hundreds of metrics—enabling every department to identify trends, anomalies, and action items before the company-wide WBR each Wednesday.
- **We learned that slow is fast**: Building accurate, automated, real-time measurement systems took time and leadership buy-in. But in the long run, these systems helped us move faster and make better decisions at scale.

Ultimately, this lesson shows that **data measurement is not a tech problem—it’s a leadership imperative**. By treating it as a strategic function, we created a system that helped Amazon scale with confidence and clarity.

To dive deeper into Input Metrics Mastery and learn more from Bill and Colin, follow these links:

- Take the full course at their website: <https://workingbackwards.com/>
- Buy the book: <https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595>
- Bill's LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-carr/>
- Colin's LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinbryar/>

Become A Debugging Master [Part 12] - Take Breaks

Sometimes the smartest move when debugging isn’t pushing harder—it’s stepping away. Here are the core points from the lesson:

- Taking breaks is critical to avoid getting trapped in unproductive rabbit holes and to regain a fresh perspective on tough bugs
- If you haven’t made meaningful progress after an hour, switching tasks, taking a walk, or asking for help can prevent burnout and unlock new ideas
- Breaks scientifically boost memory consolidation, accuracy, and problem-solving by giving your brain time to process and connect scattered information
- Studies show staying awake too long severely impairs your mental performance, making rest essential for effective debugging and clear thinking

What Advice Do You Have For Women (And Allies) In Tech?

There are not enough women software engineers. Rachel talks about the importance of sponsorship for career advancement, being ok with discomfort, and using employee resource groups (ERGs) to find community + support.

For allies (those in positions of privilege), acknowledge contributions from women and call out their good work if it's not getting noticed. 

Rachel also discusses how to evaluate a company's priorities around diversity and inclusion.

For more wisdom from Rachel, [here's her Taro playlist](https://link.jointaro.com/Cm5rJk4RJTkWhhnq7).

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 9] - Tactical Stakeholders

To succeed at work, you need to have the right people trust you. This lesson teaches you:

- What tactical stakeholders are and why they're crucial for your network
- How tactical stakeholder relationships become more and more important as you become more senior
- Who your tactical stakeholders are and how they change as you level up as an engineer

Part 8 [RBP] Next Steps With React

Follow Florian on various social media platforms like [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/c/CodinginFlow), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/codinginflow/), [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@codinginflow), and [X/Twitter](https://x.com/codinginflow) for more web development content and updates. Mailing list: [CodingInFlow.com/newsletter](http://CodingInFlow.com/newsletter)

Links:

- Florian’s free web development playlist on YouTube: <https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrnPJCHvNZuDG6BWjUFVxeWyYlve_SVJO>
- Code link: <https://github.com/codinginflow/react-best-practices/branches/stale>

Clear Communication For SWEs [Part 14] - How Communication Changes With Seniority

I discuss how communication expectations evolve from junior to senior engineer roles. Junior engineers focus on asking insightful questions and providing clear updates. Mid-level engineers lead projects, suggest improvements, and collaborate effectively. Senior engineers take on leadership roles, communicate strategic decisions, and provide insights based on experience. Adapting communication styles based on audience expertise is crucial for career growth.

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

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 21] - Developing Optimism

In this lesson, Brian shares the importance of cultivating optimism as a foundation for achieving success and overcoming challenges in your career and life.

This lesson covers:

- How optimism, rooted in effort and persistence, is essential for progress, as demonstrated by Brian's own journey from addiction to engineering manager
- The negative impact of social media on optimism, as it skews reality by focusing on extremes rather than everyday successes
- Practical strategies for maintaining optimism, such as keeping a tech journal to track your progress and reinforce your belief in your ability to improve and succeed

If you need extra help breaking into tech, join Brian's exclusive, cohort-based bootcamp (just 10 students per batch). Use this special link for $800 off: <https://www.parsity.io/taro>

Connect with Brian on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianjenney/>

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 10] - "Good To Know" People

You never know who's going to come in and completely change your career for the better. This lesson teaches you:

- What "good to know" connections are
- Why networking with these connections can actually be quite easy
- The most powerful way to identify "good to know" connections

How To Properly Learn

In this section, we focus on the kind of preparation that truly sets us apart in machine learning interviews. Rather than relying on surface-level memorization, we learn how to build a deep, applied understanding that shines under follow-up questions and real-world discussion.

- We aim to **go beyond surface knowledge**, learning not just definitions but also how and why concepts work.
- We must understand **implementation details**, like the loss function in logistic regression or how feature importance is calculated in random forests.
- We should avoid vague “buzzword” answers and instead be honest if unsure—showing how we would reason through the problem is often more impressive than guessing.
- We connect **theory to practice**, drawing clear links between ML concepts and our own project experience to demonstrate applied understanding.
- We focus on **breadth with clarity**, going deep only where relevant, and always aim to explain ideas in a concise and structured manner to reflect true expertise.

If you want to learn even more from Yayun:

- Book 1 on 1 career guidance with her here: <https://calendly.com/your-friend-yayun/1on1>
- Follow her on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/yayunjin/>

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.