Making the Decision To Be an Individual Contributor or a People Leader

As software engineers advance in their careers, we are often faced with the choice between remaining an individual contributor or transitioning to a people leadership role. This decision can be challenging and complex, as both paths offer unique benefits and challenges. Personally, I've had to decide between the individual contributor path or the management path several times.

In this talk, I'll explain the factors I considered when making these decisions, including weighing my personal strengths and interests, organizational opportunities, and the impact on my career growth and satisfaction. I'll also talk about strategies for successfully navigating the transition to either role, and how to thrive once you have made your choice. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of how to evaluate their options and make informed decisions for their career trajectory.


Speaker

Michael Winslow

Engineering Director @Amazon Music

Michael Winslow picked up his love for programming when he was 10 years old writing GW-Basic code on his Tandy-1000. With his passion for designing simple solutions to complex problems, Michael has played key roles at companies like Aramark, Ortho-McNeil, Oracle and Xfinity Mobile. He is a seasoned international public speaker who enjoys using his platform to uplift engineers and create powerfully diverse teams in technology. Michael is currently a DevOps advocate, Agile enthusiast, and transformational people-leader at Amazon Music.

Read more

Date

Tuesday Jun 13 / 04:10PM EDT ( 50 minutes )

Location

Salon D

Topics

Engineering Leadership Career Management Individual Contributor

Share

From the same track

Session

The Decision Buy-In Algorithm

Tuesday Jun 13 / 10:35AM EDT

Making large, important technical decisions is a critical aspect of a senior individual contributor's role. With the wide impact these decisions can have, it is essential to make the correct decision.

Speaker image - John Riviello

John Riviello

Engineering Fellow @Comcast and @Google Developer Expert

Session Staff Plus Engineering

The Creative Act: How Staff+ Is More Art Than Science

Tuesday Jun 13 / 02:55PM EDT

Achieving a Staff+ role is a huge achievement and something many engineers seek as the next step in their career growth. All Staff+ roles are not the same and exactly what your role entails can sometimes be a bit murky, to say the least.

Speaker image - David Grizzanti

David Grizzanti

Principal Engineer @nytimes

Session Staff Plus Engineering

Growing Others to Grow Yourself

Tuesday Jun 13 / 11:50AM EDT

The best way to grow in your career is to help others grow as well. This is true when you are going from engineer to senior engineer, or if you are a senior engineer growing into a principal or tech lead.

Speaker image - Audrey Troutt

Audrey Troutt

CTO @Tomo

Session

Unconference: Staff+ Engineering

Tuesday Jun 13 / 01:40PM EDT

What is an unconference? An unconference is a participant-driven meeting. Attendees come together, bringing their challenges and relying on the experience and know-how of their peers for solutions.

Speaker image - Ben Linders

Ben Linders

Independent Consultant in Agile, Lean, Quality and Continuous Improvement

Session

Panel: Staff+ Engineering - New Skills, New Challenges

Tuesday Jun 13 / 05:25PM EDT

As you progress in your career, your technical skills will still be important, but you will also need to develop new skills in leadership, communication, and strategic thinking. This panel will provide practical advice on how to succeed in this role.

Speaker image - Michael Winslow

Michael Winslow

Engineering Director @Amazon Music

Speaker image - David Grizzanti

David Grizzanti

Principal Engineer @nytimes

Speaker image - Audrey Troutt

Audrey Troutt

CTO @Tomo

Speaker image - Stacy Kirk

Stacy Kirk

Tech CEO/Founder, Quality-Driven Transformation Leader, Quality, Security, and Social Impact Advocate