Abstract
Many engineers reach a point where technical excellence alone isn’t enough to drive meaningful impact or advance their careers. Senior individual contributors must learn to influence without authority, build trust across teams, and navigate challenges like imposter syndrome to truly lead.
Drawing from my journey—starting as an engineer in small startups, gaining experience in the banking sector, building an engineering team from the ground up, and ultimately leading commerce architecture at Netflix—I’ll share real-world lessons on how I developed these critical skills.
In this talk, I will speak about how
- I built influence and trust as a senior IC
- Led cross-functional initiatives without formal authority
- Navigated transitions between IC and management roles
- Dealt with imposter syndrome to amplify my impact
Speaker
Kasia Trapszo
Principal Engineer @Netflix, Leading Architecture for the Commerce Platform
Kasia Trapszo is an IC leader at Netflix, where she leads architecture for the company’s commerce platform. Her diverse background spans engineering roles at startups, hands-on work in the banking sector, and building out teams from scratch. Having worked on both the East and West Coasts, Kasia brings a broad view of the tech industry’s challenges and opportunities. She is passionate about technical leadership, empowering engineers to grow their influence, and fostering collaboration across teams. Outside of work, Kasia enjoys hiking, trail running, and exploring the outdoors.
