Book Review: The Staff Engineer's Path

title: [Book Sharing] The Staff Engineer's Path: A
published: false
date: 2023-09-06 00:00:00 UTC
tags: 
canonical_url: http://www.evanlin.com/reading-staff-eng-path/
---

![The Staff Engineer's Path](http://www.evanlin.com/images/2022/400w.jpeg)

The Staff Engineer's Path
By Tanya Reilly

TOPICS: Leadership and Management
PUBLISHED BY: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
PUBLICATION DATE: September 2022

#### URL:

- Amazon: [Purchase URL](https://www.amazon.com/Staff-Engineers-Path-Individual-Contributors/dp/1098118731)
- Oreilly E-Learning Online Reading: [URL](https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/the-staff-engineers/9781098118723/)

# Preface:

Recently, I was recommended this book by a friend, and I found it quite interesting. I also feel that there is some very interesting content inside, and I should organize my reading notes soon.

# Content Summary:

For years, companies have rewarded their most effective engineers with management positions. But treating management as the default path for an engineer with leadership ability doesn't serve the industry well--or the engineer. The staff engineer's path allows engineers to contribute at a high level as role models, driving big projects, determining technical strategy, and raising everyone's skills.

This in-depth book shows you how to understand your role, manage your time, master strategic thinking, and set the standard for technical work. You'll read about how to be a leader without direct authority, how to plan ahead to make the right technical decisions, and how to make everyone around you better, while still growing as an expert in your domain.

By exploring the three pillars of a staff engineer's job, Tanya Reilly, a veteran of the staff engineer track, shows you how to:

• Take a broad, strategic view when thinking about your work
• Dive into practical tactics for making projects succeed
• Determine what "good engineering" means in your organization

It feels like an ideal career (heart eyes)

[![Image](http://www.evanlin.com/images/2022/F4tbfaIasAE4MoA.jpg)](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F4tbfaIasAE4MoA.jpg)

Managing energy and a more effective dive are very important..[![Image](http://www.evanlin.com/images/2022/F40tmDPbwAAZixe.jpg)](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F40tmDPbwAAZixe.jpg)

[![Image](http://www.evanlin.com/images/2022/F40tmndbgAAscw3.jpg)](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F40tmndbgAAscw3.jpg)

I like the request "ELI5", this term comes from Reddit, which means "Explain it to me like I'm five years old". This is a useful shortcut, meaning "Look, don't guess my level of understanding, just spell it out for me. If you tell me something I already know, I guarantee I won't be angry." (The social contract here is that you won't be offended if they start with the basics of the topic.)

[![Image](http://www.evanlin.com/images/2022/F5TkEpobsAAd6rt.png)](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F5TkEpobsAAd6rt.png)

As a role model for an organization, the parts you should pay attention to: from “The Staff Engineer Path”

[![Image](http://www.evanlin.com/images/2022/F5To1t7a0AA1xOi.jpg)](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F5To1t7a0AA1xOi.jpg)

Showing your influence:

- Articles and public speeches can help people more than 1 on 1
- If you want to give individual advice privately, it's better to write it into a general article
- Establishing a system is higher than being a reviewer yourself

[![Image](http://www.evanlin.com/images/2022/F5ZCpqaa8AA8b3L.png)](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F5ZCpqaa8AA8b3L.png)

Finally, regarding career planning:

- Choose what you want to do and invest in it
- Don't set limits, invest as much as possible for the greatest return
- Find your best career guidance

[![Image](http://www.evanlin.com/images/2022/F5ZGLhFasAASH3H.png)](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F5ZGLhFasAASH3H.png)

# Thoughts: