Jelle SmeetsinLeveling Engineering LeadershipWhat makes a great engineer? Clay vs the SculptorI have met interns who made a bigger impact on projects than experienced engineers. How can some engineers rise the ranks fast, while…Mar 14Mar 14
Jelle SmeetsThe power of lost minutes — Jelle SmeetsMy life is busy. I’m a dad to twin boys who are almost two. I’m training for a half marathon, like to write, and am an Engineering Manager…Feb 27Feb 27
Jelle SmeetsinLeveling Engineering LeadershipGetting comfortable with being uncomfortableI had no idea what kind of problems people expect you to solve as a Manager. Even before my official start date, I got pulled into a…Feb 21Feb 21
Jelle SmeetsPivotal moments — Jelle SmeetsToday I want to share a pivotal moment in the career of a freshly graduated junior developer.Feb 6Feb 6
Jelle Smeets2024 Goals — Jelle SmeetsWelcome to 2024! I dislike New Year’s resolutions. I do like setting goals. Goals give me clarity on where I need to spend my efforts. In…Jan 10Jan 10
Jelle SmeetsThe 35 books I read in 2023At the start of 2023, I set my Goodreads goal to read 24 books. In 2022 I read 21, and it felt doable to read 2 books a month. I wanted to…Dec 20, 2023Dec 20, 2023
Jelle SmeetsHow to start with 1 on 1 meetings if you have never had anyAlmost all books on (engineering) management agree on one thing. The 1 on 1 meeting is the most important tool for a manager. But how do…Dec 14, 2023Dec 14, 2023
Jelle SmeetsMy 4 main takeaways from LeadDev Berlin 2023I had the pleasure of spending 3 days in Berlin to attend the Lead-Dev conference. 28 inspiring talks in two days. Aimed at making better…Dec 6, 2023Dec 6, 2023
Jelle SmeetsA leadership lesson on rulesToday I want to share with you a lesson in leadership that caught me by surprise.Nov 17, 2023Nov 17, 2023
Jelle SmeetsTop 5 newsletters for new engineering managers — Jelle SmeetsNewsletters are one of my favorite ways to learn new things. But the struggle with newsletters is finding the informational ones, and…Nov 10, 2023Nov 10, 2023