Guides
Short, practical how-tos for engineering leaders. The answer comes first, then the steps.
Written by Rey Columna, CTO. My longer essays live under Writing.
All guides
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Why I Still Ship as a CTO
I'm the CTO at Welby Health and I still write production code. Here's why I keep at it, and when I think a CTO should stop.
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8 Signs a Project Is Quietly Slipping (and What to Do)
How to spot a late project before the status turns red: eight early signs, a 15-minute check, and what to say once you find one.
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How to Catch Dropped Commitments Before They Blow Up
Where commitments get dropped on engineering teams, a 20-minute weekly sweep to find them, and how to follow up without blaming anyone.
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How to Prep for 1:1s in 10 Minutes (With a Template)
A 10-minute routine for prepping 1:1s with your engineers: what to check, what to write down, and questions that get past 'all good.'
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How to Run a Monday Priorities Review in 30 Minutes
A simple 30-minute Monday meeting to agree on the week's top priorities, surface risks early, and say no to things out loud. Agenda included.
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How to Tell If Your Engineering Team Is Burning Out
The early signs of burnout on an engineering team, how to check without making it weird, and what to do this week once you see them.
These guides come out of building Sasshi, an iPhone app for engineering leaders. It's in the works.
See Sasshi and request early access