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M-Shaped Engineers: The Future of Software
Why Engineers With Diverse Skills Will Lead the Future of Tech
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Being a software engineer today means doing a lot more than just writing code. You need to design scalable systems, understand the business, work with data, ensure security, adapt to new tech, collaborate with different teams, implement CI/CD pipelines, and manage infrastructure to ensure reliability, and efficiency. It’s a lot and the expectations will be even bigger in the future. As the field keeps evolving, success will belong to engineers who can do more than just master one skill — those who are versatile, quick to adapt, and ready to tackle whatever comes next.
Success starts with being a T-shaped engineer — deep in one area, broad in others. Next, become Pi-shaped, mastering two specialties. Finally, evolve into an M-shaped professional, blending expertise across multiple fields with business and leadership skills. This journey transforms you from problem-solver to innovator. Here’s how I made that leap and what I’ve learned.
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