Welcome to this power-packed episode of The Programming Podcast featuring hosts Leon Noel and Danny Thompson with special guest Andy Wong. In this in‐depth conversation, the trio dives into what it really means to be a mature engineer—one who not only masters technical skills but also leads by advocating for junior engineers. They share personal experiences from diverse tech backgrounds (from startups and boot camps to big tech giants like Meta, Google, Amazon, and Wayfair), discuss the art of “two‐way door engineering” (making decisions that are reversible versus irreversible), and explore career strategy in an ever-evolving industry.🔥 Real advice. Real experience. Real value. Hit that like & subscribe button to support more episodes like this!NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/Stay in Touch:📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?Email us at
[email protected]!Danny Thompsonhttps://x.com/DThompsonDevhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDevwww.DThompsonDev.comLeon Noelhttps://x.com/leonnoelhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/https://100devs.org/📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?Email us at
[email protected]!Throughout this 73‑minute episode, you’ll hear about:• Mentorship & Advocacy: How investing in your juniors and empowering teams can drive both personal and organizational success.• Career Growth & Decision-Making: The importance of taking risks, learning iteratively, and knowing when a decision is reversible—what Andy calls “two‑way door engineering.”• Navigating Different Work Cultures: The trade-offs between startup agility and the structure of big tech, including insights into job hopping and innovation.• Work-Life Balance & Burnout Prevention: Real talk about managing your time, setting boundaries, and keeping the passion alive without burning out.• Listener Q&A: A candid response to a listener’s question about whether it’s too late to start learning tech later in life.If you’re passionate about personal growth, leadership in engineering, and practical career advice—all delivered with honesty, humor, and a genuine commitment to helping others—this episode is for you.🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and hit the bell icon for more insights from industry leaders.Chapters0:00 – Intro1:16 – Meet the Hosts & Guest: Andy Wong2:47 – Why Andy Was Requested (and Requested Himself)4:10 – The Many Faces of Andy Wong6:05 – The Boston Connection & Early Days7:00 – Mentorship Through Wayfair & Lab Zero10:46 – Teaching SQL and Explaining Backends13:18 – Internal Advocacy and Following Up15:20 – The Senior Engineer's Real Role: Advocacy18:29 – Defining Seniority vs. Management19:48 – Startups vs. Big Tech: Myths & Trade-offs25:17 – Job-Hopping and Career Longevity26:32 – Startups and the Illusion of Innovation30:06 – The Power of Risk: Two-Way Door Engineering33:32 – How Meta Encourages Fast Iteration38:05 – Personal Risk Tolerance & Career Strategy41:06 – Keeping Your Head on Straight44:42 – Avoiding Burnout & Setting Boundaries46:09 – The Grind for Early-Career Devs50:58 – The Truth Behind 1:1s & Early Confidence54:00 – You Don’t Need Permission to Grow56:03 – Rest vs. Recovery: Knowing the Difference58:17 – Motivation, Momentum & Being Petty1:05:00 – Building Projects for Impact (and Spite)1:08:03 – Too Old To Code?!
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