June 13th

I didn't love coding as much as other devs.

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Hi friend,

May today bring with it....

Shimmers.

The definition: "shine with a soft, slightly wavering light." Let's get some more warm, gentle, sunshine energy in our life. For both of us!

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I remember feeling so intimidated for the first 5 years of my career as a software engineer.

I didn't know if I was good at coding. And I didn't know if I should stay in the field or pivot.

Because I just didn't love it like other people.

Here was a senior engineer excitedly digging into docs and learning about every little nuance.

Or building side projects on the weekend, swigging gulps of coffee and click-clacking on their mechanical keyboard.

Or the "nerd-swiped" engineers who gleefully spent several hours on Slack, loudly debating the ins and outs of some hot new tech.

It made me question whether I belonged as an engineer.

I didn't LOVE coding with such zeal, like they seemed to.

And it made me question whether I was good enough.

Or passionate enough to stay in the field.

It took me many years. Years! To realize there are so many other definitions of being "good" in tech.

How did I embrace other definitions of what "good" looked like in engineering?

I worked at "Tech AND" companies.

I worked at a number of companies who were "tech AND." What do I mean by that?

​Skillshare, for example, is an educational platform with classes for creatives. The technology we were building was important, but so was the creative community we were a part of.

I was surrounded by engineers who were musicians, writers, and videographers.

It normalized a lifestyle of having other interests outside of engineering.

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Understanding the value of clear communication

As I moved up in leadership, I learned the true value of communication. Building trust. Getting consensus. Moving a team forward.

As a junior engineer, I was more head's down. But from mid-level and beyond, it got a heck of a lot more important to understand others and have them understand me.

This was an ESSENTIAL part of being an engineer.

After all, you can review a pull request or write a RFC but if no one understands it, what's the point?

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I shifted my perspective on "what is good" and embraced my interests.

Who said we need to have one definition of good? And why, oh why, do I have to meet this standard?

I embraced what I truly loved about being in tech, which was the career development of my team and building interesting products. I leaned into this and didn't look back.

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I can bet you've felt this imposter syndrome before. Whether you're an engineer, a product manager, a founder -- in any role, really. And I ask you this-

Why does there need to be one definition of "good"?

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Going-ons I'm excited for:

• I'm running a free workshop next Tuesday which will cover 3 Simple Steps to Re-energize Your Career In And Out Of Tech. Check out the landing page and if it's your vibe, you're going to want to come with.

Sign up to join us!

• I collaborated with CreativeMornings and gave a talk on "Journaling For Reinvention: Unearth your next career pivot" last Monday.
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  I've been getting lover letters like this, which I am SO grateful for. Also, invites to facilitate company workshops! If your organization would benefit from such an experience, let me know ❤️

• ​AuthenTech is opening up its doors again! As our current cohort winds down and celebrates how far we've come (60% have landed opportunities they're "mildly obsessed" with), we are passing the baton.
  You can join us for our next cohort and we can celebrate all your wins together 🎉.

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Lemme catch you up

• My pal Zoë (product designer + manager, creativity guide + travel advisor) and I chatted in my coffee-break series, "Hey, How Was Your Day?" which features fascinating women in tech who aren't afraid to live authentically.
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  We get a glimpse into a day in her past, present, and future. You can catch up on the series on Spotify.

Take your coffee break with us

• Know someone who should definitely be on the series? Tell me!​
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• ​How I ended up sharing a stage with Esther Perel

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Shiny things that caught my eye (and I want to share them!)

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You must know this ear worm, right? It features a sample from Splice, where I worked as an engineering manager. I couldn't be more proud and wow, if this isn't the song of the summer.

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Rooting for you,

Sarah

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