Gábor Till
@gabortill.com
Engineering Manager turned Mentor • Helping software engineers become impactful leaders • Coaching • Events • Career Growth • www.gabortill.com
I just released a short “Developer’s Handbook” that shows how to define your own growth goals, build a quarterly roadmap, find mentors, showcase wins, and turn stretch projects into mini‑promotions.
👉 Grab the full article here: techleadmastery.substack.com/p/developers...
👉 Grab the full article here: techleadmastery.substack.com/p/developers...
October 6, 2025 at 8:47 AM
I just released a short “Developer’s Handbook” that shows how to define your own growth goals, build a quarterly roadmap, find mentors, showcase wins, and turn stretch projects into mini‑promotions.
👉 Grab the full article here: techleadmastery.substack.com/p/developers...
👉 Grab the full article here: techleadmastery.substack.com/p/developers...
Clean code, happy teams — but how?
✅ Tag debt backlog items
✅ Reserve 10‑20% of each sprint for debt tickets
✅ Add CI quality gates (lint, complexity, coverage)
Check the full playbook with real‑world results at techleadmastery.substack.com/p/tech-debt-...
✅ Tag debt backlog items
✅ Reserve 10‑20% of each sprint for debt tickets
✅ Add CI quality gates (lint, complexity, coverage)
Check the full playbook with real‑world results at techleadmastery.substack.com/p/tech-debt-...
Clean Code, Happy Teams — Practical Ways to Manage Tech Debt
Technical debt builds up when we ship fast without paying attention to the long-term health of our code.
techleadmastery.substack.com
September 22, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Clean code, happy teams — but how?
✅ Tag debt backlog items
✅ Reserve 10‑20% of each sprint for debt tickets
✅ Add CI quality gates (lint, complexity, coverage)
Check the full playbook with real‑world results at techleadmastery.substack.com/p/tech-debt-...
✅ Tag debt backlog items
✅ Reserve 10‑20% of each sprint for debt tickets
✅ Add CI quality gates (lint, complexity, coverage)
Check the full playbook with real‑world results at techleadmastery.substack.com/p/tech-debt-...
95% of AI pilots crash – engineers pay the price. MIT finds $35‑40B spent, 9/10 deliver zero ROI.
Why?
Scope creep, costly in‑house models, wrong targets. Win: pick ONE narrow problem, use a proven off‑the‑shelf tool, set a KPI.
👉 techleadmastery.substack.com/p/ai-disaste...
Why?
Scope creep, costly in‑house models, wrong targets. Win: pick ONE narrow problem, use a proven off‑the‑shelf tool, set a KPI.
👉 techleadmastery.substack.com/p/ai-disaste...
The AI Disaster Report: 9‑out‑of‑10 Pilots Deliver Zero ROI
I just finished the latest MIT study on AI adoption, and the findings are mind-blowing.
techleadmastery.substack.com
September 8, 2025 at 8:33 AM
95% of AI pilots crash – engineers pay the price. MIT finds $35‑40B spent, 9/10 deliver zero ROI.
Why?
Scope creep, costly in‑house models, wrong targets. Win: pick ONE narrow problem, use a proven off‑the‑shelf tool, set a KPI.
👉 techleadmastery.substack.com/p/ai-disaste...
Why?
Scope creep, costly in‑house models, wrong targets. Win: pick ONE narrow problem, use a proven off‑the‑shelf tool, set a KPI.
👉 techleadmastery.substack.com/p/ai-disaste...
Effective retro flow for developers in 30 min:
1. set a goal
2. review last actions
3. silent brainstorm
4. vote top pains
5. define ≤2 concrete actions with owners.
👉 Check out the detailed flow in my article at techleadmastery.substack.com/p/sprint-ret...
1. set a goal
2. review last actions
3. silent brainstorm
4. vote top pains
5. define ≤2 concrete actions with owners.
👉 Check out the detailed flow in my article at techleadmastery.substack.com/p/sprint-ret...
The Sprint Retro Flow that actually improves velocity
I was speaking with a lead developer about how we can make our dev teams work faster and smoother.
techleadmastery.substack.com
August 31, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Effective retro flow for developers in 30 min:
1. set a goal
2. review last actions
3. silent brainstorm
4. vote top pains
5. define ≤2 concrete actions with owners.
👉 Check out the detailed flow in my article at techleadmastery.substack.com/p/sprint-ret...
1. set a goal
2. review last actions
3. silent brainstorm
4. vote top pains
5. define ≤2 concrete actions with owners.
👉 Check out the detailed flow in my article at techleadmastery.substack.com/p/sprint-ret...
Stripe engineers were moving too slow. In 2018, rapid growth led to too many meetings, slow code reviews, and tool overload.
Fixes:
1️⃣ Fewer approvals, faster merges
2️⃣ Slack & docs replaced status calls
3️⃣ Monorepo + microservices balance
Takeaway: Cut approvals, reduce meetings, streamline code
Fixes:
1️⃣ Fewer approvals, faster merges
2️⃣ Slack & docs replaced status calls
3️⃣ Monorepo + microservices balance
Takeaway: Cut approvals, reduce meetings, streamline code
March 7, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Stripe engineers were moving too slow. In 2018, rapid growth led to too many meetings, slow code reviews, and tool overload.
Fixes:
1️⃣ Fewer approvals, faster merges
2️⃣ Slack & docs replaced status calls
3️⃣ Monorepo + microservices balance
Takeaway: Cut approvals, reduce meetings, streamline code
Fixes:
1️⃣ Fewer approvals, faster merges
2️⃣ Slack & docs replaced status calls
3️⃣ Monorepo + microservices balance
Takeaway: Cut approvals, reduce meetings, streamline code
Want to be a tech lead but no growth path at your company?
Most developers wait for a promotion—that’s a mistake.
✅ Mentor without being asked
✅ Speak up & drive change
I break it down in this week’s newsletter—read it here 👇
www.gabortill.com/become-tech-...
Most developers wait for a promotion—that’s a mistake.
✅ Mentor without being asked
✅ Speak up & drive change
I break it down in this week’s newsletter—read it here 👇
www.gabortill.com/become-tech-...
How to Become a Tech Leader When Your Company Doesn’t Offer a Clear Path
Want to grow into a leadership role, but your company isn’t offering a clear path? Learn how to take ownership, build influence, and create leadership opportunities—without waiting for permission.
www.gabortill.com
March 6, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Want to be a tech lead but no growth path at your company?
Most developers wait for a promotion—that’s a mistake.
✅ Mentor without being asked
✅ Speak up & drive change
I break it down in this week’s newsletter—read it here 👇
www.gabortill.com/become-tech-...
Most developers wait for a promotion—that’s a mistake.
✅ Mentor without being asked
✅ Speak up & drive change
I break it down in this week’s newsletter—read it here 👇
www.gabortill.com/become-tech-...
Want to be a tech lead but no growth path at your company?
You don’t need permission to start leading.
✅ Help a teammate level up
✅ Share insights beyond code
✅ Own a process and improve it
✅ Push for team-wide improvements
Most companies promote those already leading. What’s stopping you?
You don’t need permission to start leading.
✅ Help a teammate level up
✅ Share insights beyond code
✅ Own a process and improve it
✅ Push for team-wide improvements
Most companies promote those already leading. What’s stopping you?
March 5, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Want to be a tech lead but no growth path at your company?
You don’t need permission to start leading.
✅ Help a teammate level up
✅ Share insights beyond code
✅ Own a process and improve it
✅ Push for team-wide improvements
Most companies promote those already leading. What’s stopping you?
You don’t need permission to start leading.
✅ Help a teammate level up
✅ Share insights beyond code
✅ Own a process and improve it
✅ Push for team-wide improvements
Most companies promote those already leading. What’s stopping you?
Leaders don’t get picked because they write great code—they get picked because they already act like leaders.
If you want to move up, start proving you are ready now, check out my latest newsletter issue 👇
www.gabortill.com/prove-tech-l...
#techlead #leadership #teamlead #devlead
If you want to move up, start proving you are ready now, check out my latest newsletter issue 👇
www.gabortill.com/prove-tech-l...
#techlead #leadership #teamlead #devlead
Prove You’re Ready for Tech Leadership – 5 Key Steps
Want to transition from senior developer to tech leader? Learn how to prove you’re ready for leadership—even without the title. Master these 5 key strategies today.
www.gabortill.com
February 28, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Leaders don’t get picked because they write great code—they get picked because they already act like leaders.
If you want to move up, start proving you are ready now, check out my latest newsletter issue 👇
www.gabortill.com/prove-tech-l...
#techlead #leadership #teamlead #devlead
If you want to move up, start proving you are ready now, check out my latest newsletter issue 👇
www.gabortill.com/prove-tech-l...
#techlead #leadership #teamlead #devlead
Reposted by Gábor Till
To learn more, you can read the latest article "5 mindset shifts needed to grow from engineer to leader" that we did together with @gabortill.bsky.social here: newsletter.eng-leadership.com/p/5-mindset-...
5 mindset shifts needed to grow from engineer to leader
Become a leader that everyone appreciates, with these mindset shifts!
newsletter.eng-leadership.com
February 24, 2025 at 2:25 PM
To learn more, you can read the latest article "5 mindset shifts needed to grow from engineer to leader" that we did together with @gabortill.bsky.social here: newsletter.eng-leadership.com/p/5-mindset-...
When I first became a lead dev, I thought I had to have all the answers
Then I quickly understood that control doesn't help as much as trust
✅ I started explaining my decisions clearly
✅ I asked for input before making calls
✅ I focused on people instead of projects
People follow those they trust
Then I quickly understood that control doesn't help as much as trust
✅ I started explaining my decisions clearly
✅ I asked for input before making calls
✅ I focused on people instead of projects
People follow those they trust
February 25, 2025 at 12:44 PM
When I first became a lead dev, I thought I had to have all the answers
Then I quickly understood that control doesn't help as much as trust
✅ I started explaining my decisions clearly
✅ I asked for input before making calls
✅ I focused on people instead of projects
People follow those they trust
Then I quickly understood that control doesn't help as much as trust
✅ I started explaining my decisions clearly
✅ I asked for input before making calls
✅ I focused on people instead of projects
People follow those they trust
Why don’t great developers automatically become great managers?
@gregorojstersek.bsky.social and I discussed this and turned it into a collaboration. I shared 5 mindset shifts that helped me grow from engineer to leader.
Read the full article here 👇
🔗 newsletter.eng-leadership.com/p/5-mindset-...
@gregorojstersek.bsky.social and I discussed this and turned it into a collaboration. I shared 5 mindset shifts that helped me grow from engineer to leader.
Read the full article here 👇
🔗 newsletter.eng-leadership.com/p/5-mindset-...
5 mindset shifts needed to grow from engineer to leader
Become a leader that everyone appreciates, with these mindset shifts!
newsletter.eng-leadership.com
February 24, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Why don’t great developers automatically become great managers?
@gregorojstersek.bsky.social and I discussed this and turned it into a collaboration. I shared 5 mindset shifts that helped me grow from engineer to leader.
Read the full article here 👇
🔗 newsletter.eng-leadership.com/p/5-mindset-...
@gregorojstersek.bsky.social and I discussed this and turned it into a collaboration. I shared 5 mindset shifts that helped me grow from engineer to leader.
Read the full article here 👇
🔗 newsletter.eng-leadership.com/p/5-mindset-...
Most engineers think leadership is about writing great code. It’s not.
You can stand out by:
— Thinking beyond their tasks
— Owning problems not just fixing them
— Managing up & communicating impact
Want to get noticed for leadership? Here’s how:
www.gabortill.com/key-leadersh...
You can stand out by:
— Thinking beyond their tasks
— Owning problems not just fixing them
— Managing up & communicating impact
Want to get noticed for leadership? Here’s how:
www.gabortill.com/key-leadersh...
Why Most Tech Leads Get Stuck at Mid-Level Roles (and 5 ways not to make this mistake)
www.gabortill.com
February 20, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Most engineers think leadership is about writing great code. It’s not.
You can stand out by:
— Thinking beyond their tasks
— Owning problems not just fixing them
— Managing up & communicating impact
Want to get noticed for leadership? Here’s how:
www.gabortill.com/key-leadersh...
You can stand out by:
— Thinking beyond their tasks
— Owning problems not just fixing them
— Managing up & communicating impact
Want to get noticed for leadership? Here’s how:
www.gabortill.com/key-leadersh...
Tech leads don’t have to be the smartest in the room.
They need to:
✔ Ask the right questions
✔ Remove roadblocks
✔ Keep the team focused
Leadership isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about making things work.
They need to:
✔ Ask the right questions
✔ Remove roadblocks
✔ Keep the team focused
Leadership isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about making things work.
February 19, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Tech leads don’t have to be the smartest in the room.
They need to:
✔ Ask the right questions
✔ Remove roadblocks
✔ Keep the team focused
Leadership isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about making things work.
They need to:
✔ Ask the right questions
✔ Remove roadblocks
✔ Keep the team focused
Leadership isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about making things work.
Tech Leaders Using AI Are Thriving—Are You?
AI is reshaping how software teams build, ship, and maintain code.
✅ Meetings are shorter.
✅ Code reviews are faster.
✅ Hiring moves at record speed.
Join 1,000+ subscribers software engineers staying ahead with AI 👇
www.gabortill.com/ai-and-tech-...
AI is reshaping how software teams build, ship, and maintain code.
✅ Meetings are shorter.
✅ Code reviews are faster.
✅ Hiring moves at record speed.
Join 1,000+ subscribers software engineers staying ahead with AI 👇
www.gabortill.com/ai-and-tech-...
Why Most Tech Leads Get Stuck at Mid-Level Roles (and 5 ways not to make this mistake)
www.gabortill.com
February 13, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Tech Leaders Using AI Are Thriving—Are You?
AI is reshaping how software teams build, ship, and maintain code.
✅ Meetings are shorter.
✅ Code reviews are faster.
✅ Hiring moves at record speed.
Join 1,000+ subscribers software engineers staying ahead with AI 👇
www.gabortill.com/ai-and-tech-...
AI is reshaping how software teams build, ship, and maintain code.
✅ Meetings are shorter.
✅ Code reviews are faster.
✅ Hiring moves at record speed.
Join 1,000+ subscribers software engineers staying ahead with AI 👇
www.gabortill.com/ai-and-tech-...
Most engineers think leadership starts with a title, but it doesn’t.
It starts with small actions, like
✅ Take ownership of a problem of feature
✅ Run better meetings
✅ Support teammates when they’re stuck
Start leading now, and people will see you as a leader before the title comes.
It starts with small actions, like
✅ Take ownership of a problem of feature
✅ Run better meetings
✅ Support teammates when they’re stuck
Start leading now, and people will see you as a leader before the title comes.
February 11, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Most engineers think leadership starts with a title, but it doesn’t.
It starts with small actions, like
✅ Take ownership of a problem of feature
✅ Run better meetings
✅ Support teammates when they’re stuck
Start leading now, and people will see you as a leader before the title comes.
It starts with small actions, like
✅ Take ownership of a problem of feature
✅ Run better meetings
✅ Support teammates when they’re stuck
Start leading now, and people will see you as a leader before the title comes.
Too many developers focus on what to learn next.
But if you want to get ahead, learn to communicate what you’ve already done.
If your boss doesn’t know the impact you’re making, don’t expect a promotion.
#EngineeringLeadership #CareerGrowth #DeveloperTips #SoftwareEngineering
But if you want to get ahead, learn to communicate what you’ve already done.
If your boss doesn’t know the impact you’re making, don’t expect a promotion.
#EngineeringLeadership #CareerGrowth #DeveloperTips #SoftwareEngineering
February 7, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Too many developers focus on what to learn next.
But if you want to get ahead, learn to communicate what you’ve already done.
If your boss doesn’t know the impact you’re making, don’t expect a promotion.
#EngineeringLeadership #CareerGrowth #DeveloperTips #SoftwareEngineering
But if you want to get ahead, learn to communicate what you’ve already done.
If your boss doesn’t know the impact you’re making, don’t expect a promotion.
#EngineeringLeadership #CareerGrowth #DeveloperTips #SoftwareEngineering
Want to move into tech leadership?
You don't need to wait for permission.
The best leaders start leading before they get the title.
— Take ownership of features
— Run team discussions
— Mentor juniors
Do these things, and leadership opportunities find you.
#SoftwareEngineering #TechLeadership
You don't need to wait for permission.
The best leaders start leading before they get the title.
— Take ownership of features
— Run team discussions
— Mentor juniors
Do these things, and leadership opportunities find you.
#SoftwareEngineering #TechLeadership
February 6, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Want to move into tech leadership?
You don't need to wait for permission.
The best leaders start leading before they get the title.
— Take ownership of features
— Run team discussions
— Mentor juniors
Do these things, and leadership opportunities find you.
#SoftwareEngineering #TechLeadership
You don't need to wait for permission.
The best leaders start leading before they get the title.
— Take ownership of features
— Run team discussions
— Mentor juniors
Do these things, and leadership opportunities find you.
#SoftwareEngineering #TechLeadership
Going from senior engineer to tech lead isn’t about getting a title.
It's about:
- Your team's performance is more important than yours.
- Communicate clearly, not just solve problems.
- Helping others to improve
Which of these do you think is the biggest challenge?
It's about:
- Your team's performance is more important than yours.
- Communicate clearly, not just solve problems.
- Helping others to improve
Which of these do you think is the biggest challenge?
February 4, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Going from senior engineer to tech lead isn’t about getting a title.
It's about:
- Your team's performance is more important than yours.
- Communicate clearly, not just solve problems.
- Helping others to improve
Which of these do you think is the biggest challenge?
It's about:
- Your team's performance is more important than yours.
- Communicate clearly, not just solve problems.
- Helping others to improve
Which of these do you think is the biggest challenge?
Most software engineers are waiting for someone to give them a leadership role.
But who actually gets promoted?
The ones who start leading before they get the title.
✅ Mentor a junior
✅ Improve team processes
✅ Take the ownership of a project
Lead first to be seen, then the title will follow.
But who actually gets promoted?
The ones who start leading before they get the title.
✅ Mentor a junior
✅ Improve team processes
✅ Take the ownership of a project
Lead first to be seen, then the title will follow.
February 3, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Most software engineers are waiting for someone to give them a leadership role.
But who actually gets promoted?
The ones who start leading before they get the title.
✅ Mentor a junior
✅ Improve team processes
✅ Take the ownership of a project
Lead first to be seen, then the title will follow.
But who actually gets promoted?
The ones who start leading before they get the title.
✅ Mentor a junior
✅ Improve team processes
✅ Take the ownership of a project
Lead first to be seen, then the title will follow.
Hi, I’m Gábor.
I help software engineers to become tech leaders.
Each week, I’ll share leadership tips and lessons I’ve learned.
What’s the #1 skill you think a tech lead needs to succeed?
I help software engineers to become tech leaders.
Each week, I’ll share leadership tips and lessons I’ve learned.
What’s the #1 skill you think a tech lead needs to succeed?
January 28, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Hi, I’m Gábor.
I help software engineers to become tech leaders.
Each week, I’ll share leadership tips and lessons I’ve learned.
What’s the #1 skill you think a tech lead needs to succeed?
I help software engineers to become tech leaders.
Each week, I’ll share leadership tips and lessons I’ve learned.
What’s the #1 skill you think a tech lead needs to succeed?
Why Most Tech Leaders Fail to Build Trust—and the 1-Minute Fix
Trust isn’t about your skills—it’s how you lead.
🛠 Admit mistakes
🛠 Keep promises
🛠 Be consistent
Trust unlocks open communication, faster solutions, and motivated teams.
Trust isn’t about your skills—it’s how you lead.
🛠 Admit mistakes
🛠 Keep promises
🛠 Be consistent
Trust unlocks open communication, faster solutions, and motivated teams.
January 22, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Why Most Tech Leaders Fail to Build Trust—and the 1-Minute Fix
Trust isn’t about your skills—it’s how you lead.
🛠 Admit mistakes
🛠 Keep promises
🛠 Be consistent
Trust unlocks open communication, faster solutions, and motivated teams.
Trust isn’t about your skills—it’s how you lead.
🛠 Admit mistakes
🛠 Keep promises
🛠 Be consistent
Trust unlocks open communication, faster solutions, and motivated teams.
Early in my career, I thought success was about being the best coder.
I learned the hard way that leadership, communication and collaboration matter much more.
Key lessons:
1️⃣ Leadership isn’t a title
2️⃣ Clear communication wins
3️⃣ Relationships > code quality
Code doesn’t scale careers. People do.
I learned the hard way that leadership, communication and collaboration matter much more.
Key lessons:
1️⃣ Leadership isn’t a title
2️⃣ Clear communication wins
3️⃣ Relationships > code quality
Code doesn’t scale careers. People do.
November 23, 2024 at 3:41 PM
Early in my career, I thought success was about being the best coder.
I learned the hard way that leadership, communication and collaboration matter much more.
Key lessons:
1️⃣ Leadership isn’t a title
2️⃣ Clear communication wins
3️⃣ Relationships > code quality
Code doesn’t scale careers. People do.
I learned the hard way that leadership, communication and collaboration matter much more.
Key lessons:
1️⃣ Leadership isn’t a title
2️⃣ Clear communication wins
3️⃣ Relationships > code quality
Code doesn’t scale careers. People do.