Irene Li

"I don't like leetcode style interviews!" See I wasn't making it up! Kurtis Nusbaum tells us more about why engineers don't like leetcode and the types of interviews that lead to a more enjoyable and effective interviewing experience.

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3 quick lessons how SWE can level up their career when working on a Product team: 1. Engage w you Product Manager. Actually speak up to ask them legit questions and coice concerns about timeline or feasibility. 2. Own your 1:1 w your Manager. Eng Managers have a lot of different work on their plate- tell them how they can help YOU or what you want in your career. They can’t tead your mind. 3. Engage more deeply w designers. Ask questions, review their work more deeply, stay collaborative. What else can you add?

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🚨 We're hiring a head of engineering at Warmly,! Who's the best of the best you know? Offering a $5,000 referral bonus for direct intros to someone we hire. You can comment them in directly and then intro We're looking for an engineering leader who's highly technical and scaled a team and product during a period of hypergrowth, $4MM to $30MM+ in ~ 2 years or something similar Our app engineering team is based in the US/Brazil. Meet our Tech Leads Marcos Cury & Scott O'Connor. Our data engineering team is based in Israel. Meet Uri Steinfeld and Dror Ventura brought in from our acquisition of Immagnify (acquired by Warmly). And our QA team is based in Pakistan. Meet Muhammad Ali Arif and Abeer Khan). They're welcome to work out of anywhere. Though we all work US hours. And we have quarterly company off sites - most recently in Mexico City, Greece, and Austin Texas! Our system is complex but resilient. We process millions of real-time website visits/day, orchestrate tens of thousands of automated AI sales & marketing campaigns/day and sync hundreds of customer’s CRMs and email platforms. We move quickly but deliberately. Design, product, and engineering collaborate to come up with the best solutions. It's never a should we build it question, it's a "this vs that" question. Looking for 10x solutions, not just 2x. As a member of the exec team, they'd be part of all the top level decisions we make as a company. No politics here. Just efficient business decisions. We're all humble, open minded, and want every other member of the exec team to win. Know anyone that comes to mind?

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Well said. The alarmism around AI replacing software engineers often overlooks the complexity of our role. While AI tools like Devin are impressive, they are assistants, not replacements. 𝟏. 𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝟐. 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬-𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝟑. 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬. 𝟒. 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧-𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. AI will definitely reshape our workflows, but it won't replace the need for skilled engineers. Instead, it may allow us to focus more on high-level problem-solving and innovation. Arvind Telharkar 👏

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If you're not a software engineer, keep scrolling. I've been an engineer my entire career and have led engineers for 9+ years. I love this profession. But there's one mistake I see mid-level engineers make too often: Not being clear about the value they're providing. There are 4 areas in which engineers provide value: Technology, Product, Process, and People. But no one gets to Product, Process, or People without mastering Technology. And I'm here to tell you there is a lot of value in the technical understanding. Don't try to scale the ranks before you build depth there. We’re engineers. No matter your title, you need to be comfortable building software. Ideally, you should love it. When you’re progressing through your career, it’s exciting to get tapped on the shoulder to lead a product, overhaul a DevOps process, or manage people. And when you get these opportunities, take them. But make sure you stay close to the engineering part of the process. Because as soon as your coding capabilities start to dwindle, you lose value. That sword needs to stay sharp. A principal engineer who is either a) not interested in being hands-on or b) no longer capable of being hands-on, can’t succeed in leading a team. Today I’m a CTO. But if my team needs me to write code, I’m there in a heartbeat. So my advice to younger engineers is: Stay close to the tech. It makes you better at Product, Process, and People. If you’re an engineer reading this, know that I appreciate you. This isn’t an easy job, and I respect you for doing it. P.S. In the spirit of this post, here's a photo of me with much longer hair from *slightly* earlier in my career.

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“There’s no jobs for Jr Software Engineers out there!” NOT TRUE…But there are some major issues in today’s hiring market. 1. MISALIGNED FOUNDATIONAL EXPERIENCE: The majority of aspiring SEs are either: Recent CS grads (less hands-on exp); OR, Bootcamp grads (less theory). Meanwhile...Most enterprise companies who hire a ton of SEs are looking for CS grads that ALSO have hands-on experience already. 2. MISALIGNED TECH STACKS: The majority of aspiring SEs are only experienced in NodeJS and/or Python. Meanwhile…Most of the companies who hire a ton of SEs are using Java or C# backends. Companies using NodeJS or Python backends are often smaller and can't hire as many SEs. That’s why our Enterprise Accelerator is making a difference. We identify diverse CS grads who are hungry, and we teach them the hands-on Java skills that companies are using in the real world over 3 months. Best of both worlds 😎 If you're interested in seeing some of this kind of talent--send me a DM and we'll get you connected. Want to join our next Enterprise Accelerator cohort? Stay tuned for the next webinar in early August.

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Front-end development dying? Not quite, but it's definitely getting a roommate—full-stack development. In the tech world, where "adapt or perish" isn't just advice but a lifestyle, front-end specialists are finding themselves in a pickle. Companies today aren't just looking for someone who can make a pretty interface; they want a tech Swiss Army knife. As businesses chase efficiency like it’s a Black Friday sale, the demand for developers who can handle both the mascara of the front-end and the plumbing of the back-end has skyrocketed. This doesn't mean front-end development is going the way of the dinosaurs, but its role is evolving. It's no longer enough to be a Picasso of pixels; understanding the server side of things is becoming just as crucial. So, is everything becoming full-stack? Pretty much. It’s like expecting a pilot to serve drinks mid-flight—not necessary, but definitely a plus! #javascript #nodejs #frontend #hiring

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I’ve been playing around with YC Founder Matching and it seems like everyone and their mother is interested either in 2-sided marketplaces or B2C businesses, even though they’re ostensibly the least profitable and hardest-to-get-off-the-ground business models there are. Why do people do this? You only have to take a glance at enterprise vs individual pricing to want to switch gears.

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A lot of people turn down offers due to compensation. That’s a fact. I didn’t make that up, it’s not a personal opinion, it’s an important part in making a decision. People want more transparency around compensation, so here is what I’ve been seeing on my end. I’ve been recruiting software engineers with 4+ years of industry experience. On average I am hearing people say they are targeting $180-220k total compensation. I have had a few outliers outside of that. I have people who request $120k and $150k. I’m not sure if those numbers are publicly listed somewhere, but on the lower end those are the two I get. 9 times out of 10, candidates will say they are looking for “the market rate”, “willing to negotiate”, “want to wait til the offer to discuss numbers”, and they will try to counter the total comp expectation question back to me. When we talk some more - they open up that they are willing to take less, that’s their IDEAL* compensation, and I always jot down the comp goal / never ask what they’re currently making. I believe current salary is irrelevant because you are taking a risk when joining a new organization, leaving your tenure, and should look for increase in your next role. I do have candidates who are my OUTLIERS - they request $300k+ with the max so far being $440k. In these situations, I used to let candidates know we probably wouldn’t be able to come close to that or compete. Lately though, I’ve been questioning that logic. I think Microsoft CAN compete, but you have to look at your package holistically. In the last year I have challenged myself personally to see… can I make more investing than my base pay? Can I beat out these Engineering salary expectations without being in the field/ making less? And if I can do it … can I share how* I’m approaching this because yes …. Base pay I don’t make 300k. No where close to that. But despite the ups and downs of the market, I’m determined to clear $300k this year. I believe I’m worth every penny and what those engineers who demand crazy numbers have taught me is …. you’re worth whatever number you want. You just need to get a little creative 🤑 Microsoft sets me up perfectly to do a few things: Receive: 50% 401k match 10% discount through ESPP HSA contribution The numbers below do not account for RSUs granted, bonus pay, Perks+ stipend, or healthcare benefits. My fidelity acct only includes 12 months of investing while at Microsoft, this doesn’t include any money outside of having my current 9-5 job. (This isn’t total savings, doesn’t include any side income, just an experiment.. is this possible?) Since I’m heavy on Microsoft stock/ refuse to sell, I am investing in 4 different categories: 1. Our competitors that pay dividends 2. Safe companies that pay dividends 3. ETFS 4. Outside of tech stocks - I like semi conductors, healthcare, defense and growth stocks

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🚀 Engineering Manager interviews are tough. Whether you're transitioning from an IC role or stepping into tech leadership for the first time, the process can feel overwhelming and under-documented. I’ve been there. Over the past few years, I’ve prepared for countless EM interviews—from startups to tech giants. I’ve poured countless hours into understanding what works, what doesn’t, and how to stand out in these interviews. 📚 Along the way, I’ve documented: - The most common questions and how to tackle them. - Frameworks for crafting impactful leadership stories. - Strategies to nail system design and decision-making scenarios. ✨ Here’s what I noticed: There’s a lack of accessible resources to help engineers and new managers prepare for EM interviews. My mission is to change that. 🎯 Starting today, I’ll be sharing: - Actionable tips and insights to ace EM interviews. - Proven frameworks for tackling behavioral and technical questions. - My personal learnings to help others succeed. If you’re an aspiring or new Engineering Manager—or someone preparing for their next big step—this space is for you. 🙌 👥 I’d love to hear from you: What challenges have you faced in EM interviews? What topics would you like me to cover? Follow along as I build a community of tech leaders navigating the EM journey. Let’s crack this together! 💪 #EngineeringManagement #CareerGrowth #Leadership #InterviewPreparation #CrackingTheEMInterview

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One of my favorite questions to ask during interviews is: "How have you become the engineer that you are today?" It’s not just a question—it’s an invitation for candidates to share their journey, skills, challenges, and values. It’s like a mind map, where the candidate lays out different threads, and I pick the ones I’d like to dive deeper into. I view interviews as an opportunity to find a reason to hire someone, rather than a set of hoops candidates must jump through to "pass." It’s about uncovering potential, exploring their unique perspective, and seeing how they can contribute. During one such interview, a candidate brought up the MVI (Model-View-Intent) architecture pattern in Android. I was aware of the concept but had never implemented it myself. As we explored the topic, he convincingly elaborated on why and how MVI should be used, showcasing their depth of knowledge and ability to communicate complex ideas effectively. What stood out to me was how much I learned in that interview—a reminder that interviews can be a two-way street. I was hiring for a tech lead role, and their ability to explain a concept I wasn’t deeply familiar with solidified their fit for the position. Even today, the candidate remembers that interview as a meaningful experience. And so do I. Interviews, at their best, are not just evaluations but opportunities to connect, share, and grow. What’s a memorable interview moment that has stayed with you?

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The tech hiring market feels good again, with urgency returning to the forefront—particularly for early-stage startups. The selectiveness is higher than ever though... The most in-demand roles? Founding Engineers. These are the cornerstone hires for scaling startups: versatile, product-focused full-stack engineers who write clean, well-tested, production-ready code. They're expected to design scalable architectures, quickly become domain experts, and operate with self-motivation and curiosity. Essentially, Swiss Army knives capable of driving significant impact. My expertise lies in placing these high-caliber engineers, primarily in hybrid in-office roles across NYC and SF. While there’s some movement in Series B/C/D companies, the bulk of the demand I’m seeing is in the early-stage space, where the right hire can make or break the trajectory of a company. If you’re scaling, looking or know someone who is, let’s connect. I have some huge plans for 2025, and they start now!

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🎉 Exciting News! 🎉 I just launched my Substack and dropped my first post: Product Engineer: Nurturing Success Through Holistic Understanding! 💡 If you love talking about tech, product engineering, and what it takes to build awesome products, you’re in the right place. I’ll be sharing insights, stories, and lessons learned from my journey in engineering and product management. Come join me, and let’s dive into the world of innovation together! 💻✨ Subscribe, share, and let me know what you think—your feedback means the world! #ProductEngineering #Innovation #Substack #TechTalk 👉 Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/ggD_ZWis

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Job postings should follow a more standard approach, just like resume's are expect to. Today's example: every posting should include the location and expectation of on-site/remote/hybrid. This element should be prominent, but at least we can 'find on page' using the 'location' keyword.

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Where do most of the good Software Engineers apply for jobs? The answer is usually... nowhere Great Engineers are often passive, responding occasionally to messages that really pique their interest, or sometimes reaching out to companies that have great employer branding If you haven't got great employer branding, and you don't work with an external recruitment partner or have an internal talent person doing outbound reach out, really you are settling for who is active and who happens to see your job posting If it was me building my founding engineering team, I would want to know that nearly every Software Engineer that may be relevant to my team (right tech background, worked in the environments I like, location/salary aligned) has been reached out to and knows about what I'm building The value that we can add as recruitment agencies (if a market specialist in what you're recruiting for), we can get your message out to hundreds of relevant Software Engineers in a day Then... We're good at presenting opportunities. Often I'll speak to an Engineer about a role, and they say oh I did see them online but I didn't think it looked that interesting... But we can get them interested in you Maybe you can hire a better-quality Engineer than you ever expected 🤔

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Myth 👉 Jobseekers have to include every possible keyword ever in their resume, lest “The AI” find them unworthy. Reality 👉 Most companies and ATSes still use zero AI whatsoever. More commonly, recruiters like Hakeem Saleh still spend their days manually filtering by “Non-Negotiables” like he describes below. Those non-negotiables are rarely if ever soft skills, so don’t worry, you won’t be filtered out if you decide to skip the cliche buzzwords. How I know this: of over 1000 jobseeker customers in the past year, our data shows that those without big summaries and soft skills sections got *more* interviews than others, not less. (The data is correlative, not causal, but still.)

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WARNING - if yoy feel stressed, your employer can lay you off to help you get rid of that stress. How does that sound - Funny or Insane? Are these the reasons now why employees are being laid off in this market? • They asked for sick leaves • They expected a rightful raise • They refused to work all 7 days • They took simple coffee breaks • They couldn’t deliver results overnight Oh, and they are feeling stressed. Because who needs sanity, right? Where are we heading to from ‘company can’t afford you’ to ‘you are stressed’ for the reasons of lay offs? Dear All - The best we all can do in this market is - stay sharp! Don’t let this madness break you. Focus on your mental health, keep building your skills, and always remember: You deserve better. (Thanks to the employee who came forward to share about this openly. Links of news below in comments)

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𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐄-𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞! I've finally landed a role as a private contractor. I'm diving into the world of e-commerce! After months of searching and searching - dodging scammers who prey upon folks looking for a dev job, and navigating the stressful software engineering job market, I've been contracted to build and maintain an online store for a multi-million dollar equipment business (I can't share more at this time). While this won't solve the problem of needing a full-time role with benefits, this much-needed opportunity lets me flex my dev skills by building a full-fledged e-commerce site with a ton of inventory, managing stock, and crafting captivating content with photos and detailed descriptions. I'm thrilled (and a bit nervous) to start this journey and (hopefully) make a real impact on this 40-year-old business. Huge thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement—you guys rock! I will say this to all of those interested in how I did it. I put myself out there. I reached out to people, I struck up conversations with folks, and I leveraged every professional relationship I had (some personal as well -- 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒!). By focusing on building relationships with folks, eventually, someone I was talking to said, "Oh! You should talk to so-and-so!" They made the introduction, and now I can pay the bills for a while. 😉😁 Networking is important. I didn't apply for this gig because there was no job listing for it. I networked and found someone who needed what I could do, wrote a professional proposal, and was nice and fair with my pricing. I'm still looking for a full-time role; however, I'm very excited about this role, as the company I am contracting with has a lot of potential. #softwareengineer #network #networking #techjobs

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