Engineering leadership mentor.Get promoted, get paid,get unstuck.

Name: Engineering Leadership Mentoring by Marian Kamenistak
Brand: Marian Kamenistak
Availability: InStock
Rating: 9.2 (300 reviews)

I'm Marian, an engineering leadership mentor for Staff Engineers, Product Builders, Engineering Agent Managers, Directors, VP Engineering, and CTOs. 3,400+ sessions with 300+ leaders since 2019, still highly technical and AI freak: architecture, code quality, AI tooling. Not motivational-poster leadership. Our ELC network runs 3,100+ leaders across Europe. I know which CTOs are hiring right now.

Walk me through your situation.

Book a free video intro →Put it in writing →

No rush?

Get pinged when a new slot opens →

9.2/10 from 300+ mentees who rated the work.

Marian Kamenistak, engineering leadership mentor

"Changed how I view my role and the role of engineering in the org."

— Marek Trunkát
CTO, Apify

Ladislav Novák, CEO at Jablotron, mentored by Marian

"Direct and specific. Never generic. Something to apply right away."

— Filip Masár
Staff Engineer, Kiwi.com

Ľuboš Práznovský, Director of SW Development at Tatra banka, mentored by Marian

Marek Trunkát, CTO at Apify — mentored by Marian

Anna Strebl, CEO at Confirmo, mentored by Marian

Petr Kubelka, Engineering Manager at Mews, mentored by Marian

"Part of helping scale up our technical teams from 35 to 100 people."

— Matthijs Welle
CEO, Mews

Testimonials

80+ leaders. In their words.

"Marian was part of helping scale up our technical teams from 35 to 100 people during his time with Mews. One of his key successes was around creating visibility on engineering output and ensuring we were able to more effectively reach our goals."

Matthijs Welle

CEO, Mews

★★★★★

"In my new role, after just four months, I had to let go of a significant number of people who were also my friends. Marian provided invaluable guidance. I was able to part ways with everyone on good terms."

David Jerabek

Chapter Lead, Rohlik

★★★★★

"Marian helped me to stabilize and mature our engineering in Apify after a period of growth. … But mainly, he changed how I view my role and the role of the engineering department in the organization."

Marek Trunkát

CTO, Apify

★★★★★

See all testimonials →

Where my clients come from.

Engineering leaders at scale-ups, banks, and global product companies. Czech, Slovak, EU, US.

Live data

Marian's live mentoring data

Pulled live from the mentoring log. Staff engineers to CTOs, 17+ countries, CEE to San Francisco. 9.2/10 average across 300+ reviews.

People mentored since 2019
287+
# sessions
3,317+
Last mentoring at
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Role distribution

Active mentees, last 12 months

I cap my own 1:1s at 14 in parallel. Hollow dots are open seats. Grab one →

Those 5 open seats are the 5 people who can claim €2,166 instead of €2,580. Under 16 minutes with my AI. Build your inquiry →

Not another engineering leadership coach.

01 / 06

Our sessions are a 7+/10
in value or free.

Your feedback tells me what to fix. Across 3,400+ sessions the average is 9.17/10. Keeps me sharp, keeps us fair.

02 / 06

Been in the seat.

I helped build Mews into a $2bn+ unicorn: 8 to 80 teams, roadmap still shipping. I went through the shit.

03 / 06

CEE-native, US-fluent.

4+ years in the Bay Area as a Principal Software Architect at Databricks. I understand US business drive and European culture.

04 / 06

Still highly technical. AI freak.

Bullshit me on estimate, effort, code quality or architecture and I'll ask to see the code or your AI skill set.

05 / 06

Financially independent.

I don't need your money. I'm financially retired. Seeing you grow is my payoff.

06 / 06

Direct.

Mentoring first. I boost you fast. No esoteric loops.

Your situation

Stuck or lonely. Pick one.

Your next role is worth €30k more.

Waiting for a 5% raise? The market pays double if you know how to move. I get you promoted where you are, or introduced directly to a CTO who is hiring you into the seat you wanted.

No recruiters. No cold applications. No LinkedIn shotgun. My network runs 3,100+ engineering leaders across CEE, and I know which ones are hiring right now.

"Marian helped me shape my story and sharpen my elevator pitch as I was figuring out my next career step. Feedback was always direct and specific, never generic. He actively opens his network to help you get there."
Filip Masár
Builder & Problem Solver

Running a 60-person org? The seat is lonely. I get it.

You're 2 to 6 years into a VP, CTO, or Head of Engineering seat. You have nobody above you to call. Right now you're facing one of: AI org rewiring, scale slowdown, headcount freeze, layoff aftermath, founder handoff.

I work with VPEs, CTOs, and Heads of Engineering at Series A to C product orgs. About 30% of my book is exactly you.

"Marian helped me stabilize and mature our engineering after a period of growth. He changed how I view my role and the role of the engineering department in the organization."
Marek Trunkát
CTO, Apify

Engineering manager, director, CTO, staff engineer. Your seat, your fires.

How it works

The method, session by session.

Day 0 · Intro session
01
The free 30-min intro.
You talk, I ask, you get honest feedback on whether I can help, plus initial advice. If we fit, we book Session 1. If not, I refer someone in my network. No prep. Confidential. Same week most weeks.
Book the free video intro →
Week 1 · Session 1
02
Focus on your goals.
One from your company, a business objective from the roadmap. The other from you, a personal development goal from your PDP. Together they become your North Star for the next 3 to 6 months. Two measurable KPIs. Everything else is noise.
Browse mentoring by role →
Every session · Scope
03
Your North Star, or whatever is on fire.
Two tracks. Track 1: we move your two KPIs forward. Track 2: something hit your desk this week, a resignation or a founder blow-up or a botched review or a runway call. We drop the roadmap. We solve that. Between sessions, text me 24/7 for the real fires.
Every session · Wrap-up
04
Homework + trust.
Every session ends with mini-homework. Small. Doable. Moves one thing forward. Everything we agree lives in a shared Notion page we build together. Nothing lost between sessions. And what we say stays between us.
Frame · Mentoring first
05
Mentoring first. Coaching follows.
You have a fire to put out tomorrow, not six sessions of "what do YOU think?" I've been in your seat. I tell you what worked. After session 4 or 5, once your table is cleaner, we shift toward coaching. Open questions, you driving the answers.
Month 3 · Outcomes
06
You sleep well. Again.
You got hired, promoted, or you met your objectives. We check your goals, review the progress, and decide on the next mission for you or your team member.

Mission

Building Silicon Valley-level product tech leaders in the Heart of Europe.

Marian Kamenistak, engineering leadership mentor, portrait in Prague

Full bio on LinkedIn

About

About marian.coach

San Francisco Bay Area badge with the Golden Gate Bridge

You know the feeling. Every 1:1 opens with a new fire. You go home Friday with 40 tabs open in your head. I ran that shift for years. I know what breaks first, and what to touch to make it stop.

I built engineering through Mews Series C, growing R&D from 8 to 80+ dev teams. Engineering leadership at Manta, acquired by IBM. Databricks in the Bay Area before that. In 2023 I walked away from a $350k role to go all-in on mentoring and the Engineering Leaders Community. Full numbers here.

Today: 600+ mentoring sessions a year, 3,100+ ELC members across CEE, fractional CTO when the fit is right. Based in Prague, working across Europe and North America. Most engineering leadership content in your feed is recycled US thinking that ignores where you work. I translate.

Marian Kamenistak is an engineering leadership mentor based in Prague. He mentors 1:1 with engineering managers, directors, VPs, and CTOs across Europe and North America. Since 2019 he has run 3,400+ mentoring sessions with 300+ leaders from 17 countries, with an average review score of 9.2 out of 10.

FAQ

Common questions before you book an engineering leadership mentor.

What happens on the free intro call?

5 min: you tell me what's going on. 10 min: I ask a few questions to understand the context. 10 min: I give honest feedback on whether I can help, plus initial advice. 5 min: if we fit, we book Session 1. We both decide if there's a win-win. 30 minutes. Free.

What happens at the first paid session?

We define your North Star. We agree the KPIs we'll track. We align with your existing development plan if you have one. By the end, you know what we're moving and how we'll know we moved it.

Mentoring or coaching: which do you do?

Both, in that order. I start with mentoring. I've been in your seat, I'll tell you what worked. Once the urgent stuff is settled, we shift toward coaching: open questions, you driving the answers. Full breakdown: mentor vs coach.

What do you need from me between sessions?

Honesty about what is hard. The mini-homework done. Confidentiality is yours. Everything we say stays between us.

References?

Word-of-mouth is the best one. Someone you know probably worked with me. 40+ named testimonials are on the /testimonials/ page.

Do I get a certificate?

No. If a certificate is your main goal, then we are not compatible. I boost real skills, not paper.

Can I include my manager in the process?

Yes. We can run a 3-way kickoff to sign off your North Star and success metrics. Optional progress updates to your manager. Optional 3-month review together.

Online or in person?

Mostly online. In person available in Prague when it makes sense: intro, kickoff, milestone debrief.

How often do we meet?

One-hour sessions, weekly or bi-weekly. Fast enough to keep momentum, slow enough to digest and action the mini-homework.

Can my company pay?

Yes. 81% of my mentees are company-funded. The €2,580 6-pack invoice goes to your employer with full VAT details ready for procurement. I'll send a one-paragraph template you can forward to your manager. Most CTOs sign off in a day. Build the inquiry through my AI wizard and the same pack invoices at €2,166.

Is there any discount?

One. 16% off the First-quarter package, €2,580 down to €2,166, when you build your inquiry through the AI wizard (the chat or the MCP server) and book the free intro. Under 16 minutes from hello to a formal offer in your inbox. It is capped at the first 5 people, which is how many mentee slots I have open. ELC members keep the €361 session rate, claimed through the same wizard; the two do not stack, the better one applies. The below-7/10-is-free guarantee is not a discount and applies regardless.

How fast can we start?

Free 30-min intro is usually within the same week. First paid session within 2 weeks. ELC members and prior referrals get priority slots. Cold inquiries run 2-3 weeks out.

What languages do you work in?

English first. Czech and Slovak native. I switch by client. Mixed-language sessions are normal.

What if I cancel mid-pack?

Pay-as-you-go cancels anytime. The 6-pack has no refund clause. I've never had a mentee ask for one. If it's not working by session 2, we stop and the rest is on me.

Book the intro

See when I'm free. Pick a slot.

Free 30-min intro. Same week most weeks. Cold inquiries run 2-3 weeks out.

Book the intro. You can sleep well. Again. My job is to fix your situation.

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Embed not loading? Book directly at marian.coach/meet or email marian@marian.coach.

Not ready to talk? Get pinged when a new slot opens.

Mentoring slots free up every few weeks. Leave your email and you get one message from me when the next one opens. Ready to book now? The intro-call button above is faster.

Not sure yet? Build the inquiry with my AI first. Under 16 minutes, no email needed until the end, and the pack comes out at €2,166 instead of €2,580 for the first 5 people.

One email from Marian. No newsletter, no sales sequence. See our privacy policy.

Free tools

Tools that help you make the right decision.

Five interactive tools built from 3,400+ mentoring sessions. Each one ends with a number or a verdict you can act on. No login, 1 to 3 minutes. The first one builds your mentoring inquiry and prices it: no more than 16 minutes, 16% off, first 5 people.