Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Rafa Páez

Marcos F. Lobo @marcosflobo.bsky.social · May 26

You don’t need a roadmap full of features.

You need a culture that lets teams think.

This issue is for anyone who’s tired of chasing tickets 👇🏼

newsletter.optimistengineer.com/p/are-you-st...

#softwareengineering #leadership

Are you still treating your team like a family?

You are not The Brady Bunch

newsletter.optimistengineer.com

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 26

The real meaning of Agile

Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 25

High-agency engineers multiply their impact by investing in social capital. — Rafa Páez

Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 25

How high-agency engineers turn trust, credibility, and relationships into visible impact 👉 newsletter.rafapaez.com/p/social-cap...

Social Capital: The Compound Interest of Your Engineering Career

How high-agency engineers turn trust, credibility, and relationships into visible impact

newsletter.rafapaez.com

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 25

How high-agency engineers turn trust, credibility, and relationships into visible impact 👉 newsletter.rafapaez.com/p/social-cap...

Social Capital: The Compound Interest of Your Engineering Career

How high-agency engineers turn trust, credibility, and relationships into visible impact

newsletter.rafapaez.com

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 25

Most engineers ignore the one thing that makes impact scale: Social capital

It’s not favoritism.
It’s trust, credibility, and relationships.

Today's newsletter:
🔹 3 core pillars
🔹 Why high agency isn’t enough
🔹 2 simple visuals

What’s 1 thing you do to build social capital?

The magic of combining High Agency with High Social Capital

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 18

2,000 subscribers on The Engineer Leader! 🎉

I thought only my mom would read. Now it's 2k engineers and leaders reading it every week.

Huge thanks for every read, like, share.

Not onboard? Subscribe in 2 seconds (link in my bio)

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Reposted by Rafa Páez

Marcos F. Lobo @marcosflobo.bsky.social · May 18

Becoming a better engineer isn’t just about code.

It’s about making decisions, leading under pressure, and growing beyond your title.

Here’s where you start 👇🏼

newsletter.optimistengineer.com/p/find-what-...

#softwareengineering #leadership

Find What You Need: A Curated Guide to My Best Content

Whether you're growing into leadership, aiming for Tech Lead, or eyeing a Staff Engineer role—this guide will help you get there faster

newsletter.optimistengineer.com

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 18

Have you ever seen someone get promoted while someone else, more technically skilled and harder working, stays stuck?

The first learned to decode the system.

Every company runs on two playbooks:
1. The official one: what they tell you.
2. The real one: what actually works.

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 17

Spot on!

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 17

“If a tree falls in the forest and nobody tweets it, did it really fall?”

If your work isn’t seen, it doesn’t count.

Visibility ≠ vanity. It’s strategy.

More on this in tomorrow’s issue of my newsletter.
Don’t miss it (link in bio).
#EngineeringLeadership #CareerGrowth

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 16

I agree! Thanks for sharing.

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 16

Change my mind: Software engineering interviews are harder than the job itself.

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 16

I'm definitely spending less time but on those social networks where receiving less engagement. It's the case here. Thanks for your insights.

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 15

This made my day:

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 15

Okay, seems BlueSky is dying or is just me?

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 15

There are 2 kinds of Engineering Managers:

The Driver: leads from the front, solves the hardest problems.

The Enabler: sets direction, coaches, delegates, empowers.

Both can work.
Both can fail.

Which one gets the best out of you?

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 12

Never promise a promotion, unless you're the CEO.

You can coach, advocate, support.
But you don’t control the final say.
Promise growth, not guarantees.

Exceptions can be made, but not for you.
Break trust once, and your word is worthless.

Ever seen this go wrong?

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 11

No Thanks: My 7 Non-Negotiables for a Fair Interview Process
How I protect my time, dignity, and career by setting boundaries against broken hiring practices.
newsletter.rafapaez.com/p/no-thanks-...

No Thanks: My 7 Non-Negotiables for a Fair Interview Process

How I protect my time, dignity, and career by setting boundaries against broken hiring practices.

newsletter.rafapaez.com

Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 11

No LeetCode.
No endless take-homes.
No 8-round interview marathons.

These are just 3 of my 7 non-negotiables for a fair interview process.

Full list in my latest newsletter.

What are your own non-negotiables when you're on the candidate side?

No Thanks: My 7 Non-Negotiables for a Fair Interview Process

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 10

I’m debating whether to publish tomorrow’s article.

Some recruiters, hiring managers, and HR folks might not like it. But the truth is: this is something that needs to be said

I believe it's time we raise the bar. Should I hit publish?

👉 Don’t miss it: newsletter.rafapaez.com

The Engineering Leader | Rafa Páez | Substack

The leading weekly newsletter trusted by hundreds of Software Engineers, Managers, and Leaders to accelerate their careers and drive impact. Click to read The Engineering Leader, by Rafa Páez, a Subst...

newsletter.rafapaez.com

Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 9

Is it just me, or is the tech market starting to bounce back?

In the past few days, several people in my network have landed new roles.

Opportunities are popping up again. Momentum is shifting.

Buckle up, looks like we’re heading back up. 🚀

Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 9

"Better waves make better surfers. Are you on the right beach?"

Friday reflections.

Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 7

Networking has two modes:

TCP – Real connection. Handshake. Deep conversations. Mutual value.

UDP – “Happy Friday!”, check my site, and some random memes. No context. No follow-up. Just broadcasting.

Both have their place.
But if you want real growth?
Be more TCP.

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 4

What's your favourite book about software engineering, leadership or personal development?

Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 4

But books only reach their full power when we do something with the ideas inside them. I share how each pick influenced me, and how you can turn insights into action.

👉 Give it a read here: newsletter.rafapaez.com/p/the-books-...

The Books That Changed My Life

From leadership to mindset: 46 shelf‑worthy reads that shape how I think, lead, and grow.

newsletter.rafapaez.com

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Rafa Páez @rafapaez.bsky.social · May 4

But books only reach their full power when we do something with the ideas inside them. I share how each pick influenced me, and how you can turn insights into action.

👉 Give it a read here: newsletter.rafapaez.com/p/the-books-...

The Books That Changed My Life

From leadership to mindset: 46 shelf‑worthy reads that shape how I think, lead, and grow.

newsletter.rafapaez.com

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