--- title: "Blog — engineering leadership notes | Marian Kamenistak" description: "Engineering leadership notes: 1:1s, communities of practice, hiring, delivery, career pivots. Written from 3,400+ mentoring sessions since 2019." url: "https://www.marian.coach/blog/" lang: "en" image: "https://www.marian.coach/images/marian-kamenistak-og-image.jpg" --- # Marian's Newsletter Engineering leadership notes: 1:1s, communities of practice, hiring, delivery, career pivots. Written from 3,400+ mentoring sessions since 2019. ### New posts, straight to your inbox. Your emailSubscribe You're on it. Nothing hits your inbox today. First send goes out once the list is live, and you're already on it. [Connect on LinkedIn →](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariankamenistak/)[See the free tools →](https://www.marian.coach/ai-coaching-tools/) - [![Audience at Plato Elevate San Francisco engineering leaders conference.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/speaker-01.DdstSGf2_1g44h1.webp) ## How to Find a Great Mentor: 10 Criteria to Score How to find a mentor worth paying for: 10 criteria, each scored 0-10, with red flags and the questions to ask. Works on coaches too. Run it on me. careermentoring22 July 2026 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/how-to-find-a-great-mentor/) - [![Full auditorium audience at an engineering leadership conference where Marian Kamenistak spoke.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/speaker-09.Cgx0l7B4_OIr2s.webp) ## Should I Become a Team Lead? A 6-Dimension Answer Six dimensions predict whether the team lead role will fit you, drawn from 3,400+ mentoring sessions. Take the 3-minute test, get a straight verdict. careerengineering managementleadership22 July 2026 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/should-i-become-a-team-lead/) - [![Marian Kamenistak facilitating a workshop, mid-gesture, in front of a slide about roadmap delivery.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/talk-16.BOCFjZmx_2dJH3d.webp) ## AI Agents Don't Shrink Engineering Teams. They Expose Weak Managers. What AI coding agents change about the first-line engineering manager job: not headcount first, but feedback loops, spans, and what the role is for. leadershipaiengineering management21 July 2026 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/ai-agents-first-line-engineering-manager/) - [![Marian Kamenistak on stage in front of the Engineering Leaders Community logo, addressing a full auditorium.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/talk-43.Dg7RtBjJ_RbnLs.webp) ## How to Become a VP of Engineering: The Three Gaps A VP of Engineering wrote me about his stuck senior EM. The email defines the EM-to-VPE gap better than any career guide. Three gaps, with fixes. leadershipcareer21 July 2026 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/engineering-manager-to-vp-of-engineering/) - [![Marian Kamenistak speaking with a microphone against a red velvet curtain backdrop.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/speaker-04.DCJKJfEk_xtT4.webp) ## How to Convince Your Manager to Pay for Coaching The ROI formula, three worked examples in EUR, the 3 to 6 month KPI contract, and a forwardable email your manager can approve in one read. leadership21 July 2026 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/how-to-convince-your-manager-to-pay-for-coaching/) - [![Marian Kamenistak mid-talk on a dark conference stage, lines of code projected on the screen behind him.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/talk-37.CpcLkiqr_ZA0MDH.webp) ## How to Find an AI Mentor, Not Another Course AI courses go stale in months. How engineering leaders learn AI ultra fast with a 1:1 mentor who ships with you, plus five questions to vet one. leadershipai21 July 2026 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/how-to-find-an-ai-mentor/) - [![Marian Kamenistak pointing at a slide scoring AI-assisted engineering skills — agentic coding, AI code review, MCP integration — against a mid-level developer salary.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/talk-41.lxux8gFJ_Z1Hl9tP.webp) ## I Turned 3,400 Mentoring Sessions Into MCP Tools Your AI Can Call Why I shipped an MCP server for engineering leadership, what the 8 tools do, and what it changes when your AI assistant can query a mentor's data. leadershipaimcp21 July 2026 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/mcp-server-engineering-leadership/) - [![Marian Kamenistak laughing with both fists raised in celebration.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/portrait-energy.BbDUthbN_ZjXKvz.webp) ## Product Builder: Why the Best Product Engineers Own Marketing, Adoption, and ROI Too The product builder owns a feature end to end: evaluation, implementation, marketing, activation, adoption. Why this role earns Google money in CEE. leadershipproductcareer21 July 2026 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/product-builder-role/) - [![Marian Kamenistak keynoting at mDevCamp, his name projected large on the stage screen.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/talk-04.BA_8CK_x_2t9uE7.webp) ## Engineering Director: What the Role Really Is What an engineering director does, how the role differs from VP of Engineering and engineering manager, and how to step into it without drowning. leadershipcareerorg design20 July 2026 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/engineering-director-role/) - [![Marian Kamenistak speaking at an engineering leadership event.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/talk-03.UpPM66Xq_1Krw4y.webp) ## Head of Engineering: What the Title Means and Where It Sits What a head of engineering is, how it maps to VP of Engineering and CTO, and why the title means different things at different company sizes. leadershipcareerorg design20 July 2026 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/head-of-engineering-role/) - [![Marian Kamenistak speaking with a headset mic at the Engineering Leaders Conference, clicker in hand mid-gesture.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/talk-44.DENlyu3u_1B2GR2.webp) ## How Much Does Executive Coaching Cost in 2026? US, Europe and CEE Rates Executive coaching costs 200 to 600 USD per hour in the US, 120 to 330 EUR in Central Europe. Full 2026 rate breakdown, plus one public mentoring price list. coachingmentoringpricing20 July 2026 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/how-much-does-executive-coaching-cost/) - [![Marian Kamenistak walking the mDevCamp stage in front of a large pink-lit conference backdrop.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/talk-05.G5yrumUC_jwOhe.webp) ## Fractional CTO for Startups: What It Is, What It Costs, When You Need One What a fractional CTO for a startup does, real market rates, and the 6 signals you need one. Written by a fractional CTO who has run the model since 2023. fractional ctoleadershipconsulting10 July 2026 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/fractional-cto-what-it-is-cost-when-you-need-one/) - [![From -$75k to +$500k Venture in 3 Years: Live Business Lessons, Raw Numbers](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/build-500k-business-in-3-years.png) ## From -$75k to +$500k Venture in 3 Years: Live Business Lessons, Raw Numbers My engineering leadership business hit $537k revenue in 2025, from $0 in 3 years. The lessons, the mistakes, and the raw numbers, stream by stream. consultingleadership27 December 2025 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/build-500k-business-in-3-years/) - [![How I Grew a $200k Mentoring Business from Scratch](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/mentoring-business-playbook.png) ## How I Grew a $200k Mentoring Business from Scratch I turned a 6-month mentoring test into 161+ mentees, 1000+ sessions, and a $200k/year mentoring business. 10 no-BS steps to start and scale. learningtrust30 September 2025 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/mentoring-business-playbook/) - [![11 Red Flags It’s Time to Fire Your Consultant](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/11-signs-to-fire-your-consultant.png) ## 11 Red Flags It’s Time to Fire Your Consultant Too many consultants linger without results. Spot the 11 red flags that signal it’s time to fire your consultant, end dependency, and reclaim control. compensationconsultingleadership13 August 2025 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/11-signs-to-fire-your-consultant/) - [![How I Built Leadership Courses That Actually Works](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/leadership_courses_that_actually_work.jpg) ## How I Built Leadership Courses That Work Most leadership courses overpromise and underdeliver. Here’s how I built a practical, results-driven program that truly transforms leaders at scale. leadershipone on ones30 July 2025 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/leadership_courses_that_actually_work/) - [![10x Your Market Value: The Tech Leader’s 8-Step Playbook](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/10x-your-market-value-tech-leader-8-steps.png) ## 10x Your Market Value: The Tech Leader’s 8-Step Playbook Learn how to 10x your market value as a tech leader with 8 proven steps to boost your impact and become an irreplaceable asset in any company. careercompensationleadership1 July 2025 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/10x-your-market-value-tech-leader-8-steps/) - [![ELC 2025: A Tech Leadership Revolution in Central Europe](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/engineering-leaders-conference-elc-2025-recap.jpg) ## ELC 2025: A Tech Leadership Revolution in Central Europe ELC 2025 brought 300+ tech leaders to Prague to reshape engineering leadership in Central Europe. Here's what made it a turning point and what's next. conferenceleadership30 June 2025 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/engineering-leaders-conference-elc-2025-recap/) - [![10 Questions to Find the Right Engineering Management Role](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/engineering-management-role-checklist.jpeg) ## 10 Questions to Find the Right Engineering Management Role Feeling stuck or burned out? Use these 10 questions to realign your engineering management role and find a path that truly fits your goals and strengths. engineering management5 May 2025 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/engineering-management-role-checklist/) - [![6 proven strategies to hit a 90% candidate conversion rate and build a top startup team](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/6-strategies-for-high-candidate-conversion.png) ## 6 proven strategies to hit a 90% candidate conversion rate and build a top startup team Boost your candidate conversion rate to 90%+ with these 6 proven hiring strategies. Learn how to attract, engage, and secure top engineering talent. hiringlearning14 March 2025 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/6-strategies-for-high-candidate-conversion/) - [![Fire, fix, or invest? The 3 performance criteria every leader needs.](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/3-performance-criteria-every-leader-needs.jpg) ## Fire, fix, or invest? The 3 performance criteria every leader needs. Fire or invest? Learn 3 key criteria for tough performance decisions before it's too late. Avoid common mistakes and take action to protect your team. engineering managementleadership20 February 2025 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/3-performance-criteria-every-leader-needs/) - [![Time to fire your Scrum Master? 10 questions to expose whether your Agile is actually delivering value.](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/agile-isnt-dead-unlock-more-value-from-scrum-masters.jpg) ## Time to fire your Scrum Master? 10 questions to expose whether your Agile still delivers value. Discover how continuous improvement, value flow, and strategic alignment can transform your Agile practices and lead your teams to real results. leadershipmetrics16 January 2025 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/agile-isnt-dead-unlock-more-value-from-scrum-masters/) - [![Stop leading in isolation: build a community of practice for engineering managers](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/community-of-practice-for-engineering-managers.jpg) ## Stop leading in isolation: build a community of practice for engineering managers Bi-weekly rituals, 6 discussion areas, the tiger-team model, and the exact tools to run a CoP that genlly changes how EMs work. Real playbook, not theory. engineering managementcommunityplaybook15 December 2024 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/community-of-practice-for-engineering-managers/) - [![Learn or die: 11 steps to transform your ‘learning culture’ from buzzword to reality](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/11-steps-to-transform-your-learning-culture.jpg) ## Learn or die: 11 steps to transform your ‘learning culture’ from buzzword to reality Without a real learning culture, your top talent will leave. This guide shows you how to build high-performing teams that thrive through continuous learning. compensationlearning12 December 2024 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/11-steps-to-transform-your-learning-culture/) - [![CTO exit strategy: 10 proven steps to successfully complete your mission and secure your next role](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/cto-exit-strategy-10-proven-steps.png) ## CTO exit strategy: 10 proven steps to successfully complete your mission and secure your next role My CTO exit strategy is grounded in years of experience working with some of the largest software companies in the Czech Republic and mentoring engineering compensationhiringleadership4 November 2024 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/cto-exit-strategy-10-proven-steps/) - [![30-60-90-day guide to leading your new dev team like a pro](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/guide-to-leading-your-new-dev-team.png) ## 30-60-90-day guide to leading your new dev team like a pro “In three months, I'll embrace the new dev team, complete an internal audit, and present my battle plan.” The 30-60-90 day guide, step by step. engineering managementleadership19 October 2024 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/guide-to-leading-your-new-dev-team/) - [![Creating the perfect compensation model for your software development team](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/the-right-compensation-model-for-your-dev-team.png) ## Creating the perfect compensation model for your software development team Every CTO has faced the challenge: “What’s the best compensation model for my R&D team?” With so many options, it can feel overwhelming. compensationlearning9 October 2024 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/the-right-compensation-model-for-your-dev-team/) - [![Loving My New Porsche? A Provocative Review of Year Three on My $300k Rollercoaster Business.](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/2025-entrepreneur-strategy.jpg) ## Loving My New Porsche? A Provocative Review of Year Three on My $300k Rollercoaster Business. Exposing my 2024 financial data: every revenue stream, what earned, what flopped, and the plan for 2025. Year three of the $300k rollercoaster. compensationconsultingsolopreneur11 August 2024 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/2025-entrepreneur-strategy/) - [![Why isn't my manager listening to me? Mastering six levels of influence to push your ideas.](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/how-to-influence-my-manager.png) ## Why isn't my manager listening to me? Mastering six levels of influence to push your ideas. Don't just bring up problems. Tell your manager what they get in return. Six levels of influence that get your ideas heard, funded, and shipped. 14 April 2024 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/how-to-influence-my-manager/) - [![Earn Six Figures in 6 Months: Your Guide to Landing 30+ Clients and Growing Your Business](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/earn-six-figures-in-6-months-your-guide-to-landing-30-clients-and-growing-your-business.png) ## Earn Six Figures in 6 Months: Your Guide to Landing 30+ Clients and Growing Your Business Currently, I’m guiding two extra mentees with a different mission: They want to follow my path as a solopreneur. engineering managementsolopreneur3 April 2024 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/earn-six-figures-in-6-months-your-guide-to-landing-30-clients-and-growing-your-business/) - [![11 Keys to Mastering Performance Reviews: The Good, The Bad, The Successful Elements of Career Frameworks](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/11-keys-to-mastering-performance-reviews.jpeg) ## 11 Keys to Mastering Performance Reviews: The Good, The Bad, The Successful Elements of Career Frameworks Have you ever considered performance reviews your team looks forward to? Build a system that brings value to both you and your team. careerperformance review26 February 2024 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/11-keys-to-mastering-performance-reviews/) - [![Hiring A Software Engineering Manager? 10 Interview Questions to Help You Make the Right Bet.](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/10-interview-questions-to-hire-the-right-engineering-manager.webp) ## Hiring A Software Engineering Manager? 10 Interview Questions to Help You Make the Right Bet. How do I onboard an Engineering/Tech Manager ace ♣️ in just 3 months? Do this: 1️⃣ Decide how much of Technical/Delivery, Leadership and Process scope you… compensationengineering managementhiring16 February 2024 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/10-interview-questions-to-hire-the-right-engineering-manager/) - [![Want to get promoted? The software developer’s secret weapon for advancing in your career.](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/want-to-get-promoted-the-software-developers-secret-weapon-for-advancing-in-your-career.webp) ## Want to get promoted? The software developer’s secret weapon for advancing in your career. Developers think about technical skills when they want a career promotion. But managers care equally about a broader set of qualities. career12 February 2024 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/want-to-get-promoted-the-software-developers-secret-weapon-for-advancing-in-your-career/) - [![Marian Kamenistak leading a two-day engineering leadership workshop for a small group of managers, presenting at a screen.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/talk-26.CMdq9dhg_Z1G8G09.webp) ## Engineering Manager Team Leader Training Course - Part One - Foundation Engineering Manager Course: Confidently lead engineering teams that ship and scale using techniques and lessons acquired through real-world experience. engineering managementleadership1 January 2024 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/engineering-manager-course-training-part-one-foundation/) - [![My 2024 Solopreneur Strategy: 5 Key Objectives to Outperform as a Fractional Advisor and Coach in the Tech Industry](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/solopreneur-strategy-for-fractional-advisor-coach-mentor.png) ## My 2024 Solopreneur Strategy: 5 Key Objectives to Outperform as a Fractional Advisor and Coach in the Tech Industry No strategy → no focus → no improvements → no differentiators → no happiness in what I do → back to employee mode. compensationsolopreneur21 December 2023 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/solopreneur-strategy-for-fractional-advisor-coach-mentor/) - [![Don't Do DORA Metrics First: Rethinking Team Performance Indicators](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/better-than-dora-metrics-team-productivity.png) ## Don't Do DORA Metrics First: Rethinking Team Performance Indicators What's the purpose of having expensive highly performing teams if they don't work on things that matter the most, having 60% off-roadmap contribution? deliverymetrics7 December 2023 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/better-than-dora-metrics-team-productivity/) - [![How my unconventional solopreneur strategy and tips put me in an unbeatable spot](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/unbeatable-solopreneur-strategy.png) ## How my unconventional solopreneur strategy and tips put me in an unbeatable spot A well-crafted battle plan is your strategic compass for handling the competitive space of client engagement. solopreneur8 November 2023 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/unbeatable-solopreneur-strategy/) - [![How to Succeed as a Consultant on a Client's Site: 10 Steps to Dominate.](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/consultant-advisory-guide-on-client-ground.webp) ## How to Succeed as a Consultant on a Client's Site: 10 Steps to Dominate. Becoming a successful consultant is not guesswork, it's a battle plan. 10 steps to earn trust and dominate on a client's site from day one. consulting15 October 2023 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/consultant-advisory-guide-on-client-ground/) - [![Marian Kamenistak speaking at an engineering leadership event.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/talk-24.CoyLhCqC_Z2isSMS.webp) ## From VPE to solo mentor: 317 billed sessions in year one The full story of leaving a €230k VPE seat to build a mentoring venture. Y1 numbers, the strategy that worked, and the mistakes I made. solopreneurmentoringfounder story30 August 2023 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/from-vpe-to-solo-mentoring-year-one/) - [![Is there a better way to do 1:1s? Let's find out.](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/one-on-ones.webp) ## Is there a better way to do 1:1s? Let's find out. The 60-min slot, the 4-session foundation to build trust, the core agenda, and the async pattern. The full playbook I use with every new mentee running 1:1s. one on onesengineering managementplaybook15 August 2023 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/one-on-ones/) - [![Staff Engineer: What the Role Actually Is](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/what-a-staff-engineer-role-is-all-about.webp) ## Staff Engineer: What the Role Is, and Where It Differs From Senior Staff engineer is not senior engineer with a better title. It is a different job: multiplying other engineers, not shipping more code yourself. 17 May 2023 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/what-a-staff-engineer-role-is-all-about/) - [![9 Solid Tips To Grow Your Team’s Talent in a Year](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/9-solid-tips-to-grow-your-teams-talent-in-a-year.png) ## 9 Solid Tips To Grow Your Team’s Talent in a Year “I have no time to grow my teammates. We have to deliver.” 9 practical moves to grow your team's talent in a year without dropping delivery. compensationengineering managementleadership15 March 2023 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/9-solid-tips-to-grow-your-teams-talent-in-a-year/) - [![VP of Engineering @ Mews - A look back on my 1st year](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/vp-of-engineering-mews-a-look-back-on-my-1st-year.webp) ## VP of Engineering @ Mews - A look back on my 1st year Life is fun! Joining a new company in April 2020 couldn’t have been easier: The Prague HQ office got closed due to the virus whose name we shall not mentio… compensationengineering managementleadership30 June 2021 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/vp-of-engineering-mews-a-look-back-on-my-1st-year/) - [![How to Make Your Teams Beat OKRs](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/how-to-make-your-teams-beat-okrs.png) ## How to Make Your Teams Beat OKRs OKRs for engineering teams that ship: how to set them, wire them to delivery, and make your teams beat them quarter after quarter. compensationdelivery17 February 2021 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/how-to-make-your-teams-beat-okrs/) - [![Learn or Die - My Daily Learning Habit to Beat the Sleepers](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/learn-or-die.png) ## Learn or Die - My Daily Learning Habit to Beat the Sleepers At work, do you need to be a stronger weightlifter to outdo more senior guys? Not necessarily. The difference lies in learning. learning8 December 2020 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/learn-or-die/) - [![Great people are active in self-learning](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/great-people-are-active-in-self-learning.webp) ## Great people are active in self-learning Top picks of engineering management and leadership: the books, blogs, and podcasts I keep recommending to my mentees, and why each earns its slot. engineering managementleadershiplearning15 November 2020 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/great-people-are-active-in-self-learning/) - [![How to Excel in Engineering management](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/how-to-excel-in-engineering-management.webp) ## How to Excel in Engineering management Stay focused and invest your time into improvements of a bigger scale. Don’t stay at the level of resolving small daily issues, which results in hundreds o… careercompensationengineering management29 September 2020 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/how-to-excel-in-engineering-management/) - [![Estimates: The Art of Guessing Badly](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/dont-let-yourself-be-held-hostage-by-estimates.png) ## Estimates: The Art of Guessing Badly Oftentimes I hear stakeholders or PMs complaining that the engineering team repeatedly fails to complete their work on time. compensation15 September 2020 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/dont-let-yourself-be-held-hostage-by-estimates/) - [![Innovation Days: Helping Employee Creativity for Enhanced Company Operation](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/innovation-days-transforming-ideas-to-product.webp) ## Innovation Days: Helping Employee Creativity for Enhanced Company Operation How Innovatrics runs Innovation Days: giving staff room to pitch ideas beyond the roadmap that end up shaping how the company and product work. compensationmetrics21 August 2020 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/innovation-days-transforming-ideas-to-product/) - [![Marian mentoring an engineering leader one on one](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/how-to-build-trust-with-engineering-teams.webp) ## How to Build Trust with Engineering Teams In engineering management, my vision is to create a productive software delivery environment that developers are proud to work in, with a focus on tangible… compensationdeliveryengineering management10 August 2020 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/how-to-build-trust-with-engineering-teams/) - [![What makes a Great Software Company](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/what-makes-a-great-software-company.webp) ## What makes a Great Software Company The topmost indicators that define great software companies: how they ship, hire, decide, and learn. A checklist to grade your own company against. compensationtrust22 August 2019 ](https://www.marian.coach/blog/what-makes-a-great-software-company/) ## Structured data ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ProfessionalService","name":"Marian Kamenistak | Engineering Leadership Mentoring","url":"https://www.marian.coach/blog/","image":"https://www.marian.coach/images/marian-kamenistak-og-image.jpg","description":"Engineering leadership notes: 1:1s, communities of practice, hiring, delivery, career pivots. 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Don’t stay at the level of resolving small daily issues, which results in hundreds o…","url":"https://www.marian.coach/blog/how-to-excel-in-engineering-management/","datePublished":"2020-09-29","inLanguage":"en","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.marian.coach/#person","name":"Marian Kamenistak"}},{"@type":"BlogPosting","headline":"Estimates: The Art of Guessing Badly","description":"Oftentimes I hear stakeholders or PMs complaining that the engineering team repeatedly fails to complete their work on time.","url":"https://www.marian.coach/blog/dont-let-yourself-be-held-hostage-by-estimates/","datePublished":"2020-09-15","inLanguage":"en","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.marian.coach/#person","name":"Marian Kamenistak"}},{"@type":"BlogPosting","headline":"Innovation Days: Helping Employee Creativity for Enhanced Company Operation","description":"How Innovatrics runs Innovation Days: giving staff room to pitch ideas beyond the roadmap that end up shaping how the company and product work.","url":"https://www.marian.coach/blog/innovation-days-transforming-ideas-to-product/","datePublished":"2020-08-21","inLanguage":"en","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.marian.coach/#person","name":"Marian Kamenistak"}},{"@type":"BlogPosting","headline":"How to Build Trust with Engineering Teams","description":"In engineering management, my vision is to create a productive software delivery environment that developers are proud to work in, with a focus on tangible…","url":"https://www.marian.coach/blog/how-to-build-trust-with-engineering-teams/","datePublished":"2020-08-10","inLanguage":"en","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.marian.coach/#person","name":"Marian Kamenistak"}},{"@type":"BlogPosting","headline":"What makes a Great Software Company","description":"The topmost indicators that define great software companies: how they ship, hire, decide, and learn. A checklist to grade your own company against.","url":"https://www.marian.coach/blog/what-makes-a-great-software-company/","datePublished":"2019-08-22","inLanguage":"en","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.marian.coach/#person","name":"Marian Kamenistak"}}]} ```