There’s no single roadmap to becoming a senior engineer -- but there are patterns, pitfalls, and possibilities worth exploring. This track highlights the many different ways experienced engineers grow into high-impact technical leaders -- whether by scaling startups, thriving as a solopreneur, climbing the ladder at FAANG companies, building careers through open source/standards, or steadily rising within smaller organizations. Our speakers bring radically different journeys to the table, but share a common thread: each has carved out a sustainable and influential role largely as an individual contributor. Through their stories, we’ll unpack the skills, strategies, and self-awareness it takes to grow into senior technical leadership, however you choose to make that journey.
From this track
Lead Without a Ladder: How I Climbed Into Engineering Leadership
Tuesday Nov 18 / 10:35AM PST
Climbing into senior engineering leadership isn’t always a matter of following fixed rungs—it can be more like scaling a rugged, ever-shifting mountain. You know there might be a path somewhere on the south face but for some reason the North face has more appeal.
Pauline Jepp
Head of Engineering @TicketSwap
Beyond Coding: How Senior ICs Grow Influence and Drive Impact
Tuesday Nov 18 / 11:45AM PST
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.
Kasia Trapszo
Principal Engineer @Netflix, Leading Architecture for the Commerce Platform
A Solopreneur's Journey: From Engineer to Puzzle Master and Storyteller
Tuesday Nov 18 / 01:35PM PST
Solopreneur & Sustainable Business don't often go together, but that's what can happen when you create something "Good Enough" and hang around "Long Enough". Joe, a true Unicorn in the volatile games business, has survived for 16+ years by creating 19 games in his Clutter Franchise.
Joe Cassavaugh
Creator of Clutter, Game Developer/Solopreneur - Previously @iWin, @WorldPlay
The Multiplier Effect: Transforming Technical Talent Through Strategic Soft Skills Development
Tuesday Nov 18 / 02:45PM PST
While technical competency remains foundational, senior engineering leaders recognize that sustainable competitive advantage stems from organizational capabilities that transcend code quality.
Arun Gupta
25+ Years Experience Across Companies Like @Intel, @Apple, @Amazon, and @Red Hat, Chaired the CNCF and OpenSSF Governing Boards, Organizer at the UN’s Tech Over Hackathon
Turning Outward: Growing From Code to Influence
Tuesday Nov 18 / 03:55PM PST
As individual contributors we sharpen our technical chops striving to improve our code and craft. But you may become aware you can do more, and could help others and the team. The path to make that shift isn’t always clear.
Brad Grantham
Software Architect and Team Lead @LunarG - Responsible for Cross-Platform, GPU-Independent Graphics API Capture and Replay Technologies
Unconference: The Path to Senior Engineering Leadership
Tuesday Nov 18 / 05:05PM PST
