Exercise better foresight by identifying patterns, pinpointing what makes them persist, and understanding what could prevent it in the future. Take a moment to count the urgent issues you handled this week. Production incidents. Customer escalations. Team conflicts. Deadline pressures. For many engineering leaders, these “firefighting” moments consume the majority of their workday, leaving little time for strategic thinking or…
Jesal Gadhia
https://jes.al/ · 10 posts · history since 2023 · active
1 Jan 2025
15 Oct 2024
What a year in the trenches building with LLMs taught me about delivering value with AI Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming an integral part of modern engineering. From automating mundane tasks to driving groundbreaking innovations, AI offers unprecedented opportunities for organizations to gain a competitive edge. I’ve spent over a year in the trenches building with LLMs and even…
31 Jul 2024
The current job market is overflowing with competition, put yourself in better stead for meeting the job spec by asking yourself these 6 questions before applying. Rejection stings. As engineers, we’re wired to solve problems and achieve goals. In today’s job market, it can be tricky to get past the first stage, let alone a second or third, so a…
3 May 2024
Manage the stresses of complex problem-solving, tight deadlines, and high-pressure situations at work with integrity and emotional intelligence. A few years ago, I discovered Don Miguel Ruiz’s renowned book, The Four Agreements, which provides four simple yet profound principles for personal growth and self-improvement. Since then, I’ve found myself frequently applying its principles to navigate workplace challenges, such as communicating…
6 Apr 2024
How can engineers ensure their skills keep up with AI advancements? Over the last few years, we’ve watched AI take giant leaps in coding – from AI-assisted coding tools like GitHub Co-Pilot to the first AI engineer named Devin. This explosion of AI capabilities has sparked endless debates, with the burning question on everyone’s mind being: does software engineering still…
8 Feb 2024
From Assumptions to Understanding Louis Moeller, Different Opinions, High Museum of Art, Atlanta. While returning home from my company offsite, I was standing in the TSA line, placing my belongings into the gray bins. It was then that a question caught me off guard. “Have you ever been on a flight?” I froze, my hands mid-air, gripping my shoes. The…
9 Jan 2024
Remember scrambling for notes, losing ideas to the ether, struggling to keep up with tasks, and drowning in a sea of information? Yeah, me too. But that was before I understood Personal Knowledge Management (PKM). In my previous post, we explored the essentials of PKM and Tiago Forte’s The 4 Levels of Personal Knowledge Management. Since then, I have received…
17 Dec 2023
Personal Insights on Building Exceptional Teams In a world where 75% of cross-functional teams are dysfunctional, mastering the art of leadership is not just a skill but a necessity. I’ve been fortunate enough to lead teams in various environments, from small start-ups to large organizations, and along the way, I’ve received consistently positive feedback on my teams’ camaraderie, cohesion, and…
8 Dec 2023
Effective proposal writing techniques for engineering leaders As an engineering leader, you’ve likely faced the challenge of writing proposals for ideas you’re passionate about, whether it’s drafting design docs, request for comments (RFCs), memos, or even slide decks. The format might change depending on context, but the fundamental challenge remains: how do we make our ideas resonate? Throughout my career,…
8 Aug 2023
Unraveling growth challenges: Could a system architect be the solution? Serverless Architecture from Classic Programmer Paintings Most startups that go through hyper-growth tend to face the inevitable Bottlenecks of Scaleups, as masterfully described by ThoughtWorks. Having navigated the hyper-growth journey myself, I’ve witnessed firsthand how these technical bottlenecks can impede business progress, causing churn and chaos. Bottlenecks of Scaleups In…