Linear is a purpose-built tool for planning and building products. Engineers at OpenAI, Brex, and CashApp love it because it's fast, friction-free, and keeps you focused on shipping. Get $250 off any plan at http://linear.app/partners/a-life-engineeredGergely Orosz walked away from engineering management at Uber to become tech's most influential newsletter writer. His Pragmatic Engineer newsletter reaches over 1 million readers—more than the population of San Francisco—making him the #1 tech writer on Substack.In this conversation, we dive deep into why junior developers can't get hired, what actually drives career growth, and his concept of "energy" as the hidden force that makes or breaks engineering teams.Key Topics Discussed:The IC vs Manager Decision (5:45)Gergely's journey: Principal → Senior Engineer at Uber (but 2x the comp)Why you should try management for 1-2 years (even if you hate it)The "insurance policy" of management experienceHow "failed managers" make the best staff engineersWhat Makes a Technical Manager (17:53)The Booking.com burnout storyWhy managers who can't code struggleAmazon's "dive deep" principle in practiceLearning distributed systems as a manager at UberThe Entry-Level Crisis (23:01)Why junior hiring has been down for 5 straight yearsThe "30% AI efficiency" trap destroying traditional entry pathsWhy GitHub is bucking the trend and hiring MORE juniorsPractical advice: Build apps that earn $1 from strangersCareer Growth Strategies (33:13)Step 1: Crush your current job (no shortcuts)Why your side projects might not help your promotionThe Venn diagram of personal growth vs company valueUnderstanding what actually drives business impactThe Energy Theory (41:39)Why OpenAI ships so fast (hint: it's not their process)Energy vs Process: What actually drives resultsThe Factorio principle of enjoying "boring" workHow high-energy teams blast through mistakesConnect with Gergely:Newsletter: https://pragmaticengineer.comBook: The Software Engineer's Guidebook - https://geni.us/uTUAyxPodcast: The Pragmatic Engineer Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@pragmaticengineer/podcasts
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