Tokyo Tech Lead

Tokyo Tech Lead

Better Software Engineer

What Engineers Do All Year to Get Great Ratings?
A manager's breakdown of the effective habits before review season.
 • Adler Hsieh
Your Manager Already Decided Your Rating. You Just Don't Know It Yet.
Here's what impacts it before you even start writing your self-review, from a manager's perspective
 • Adler Hsieh
Your Performance Review Feedback Makes No Sense. Here's Why.
An engineering manager breaks down the three most common feedback problems — and what to do about each one.
 • Adler Hsieh
You Got "Not Meeting Expectations" But It's not Always Your Fault
The hidden quota system behind your performance rating
 • Adler Hsieh
What Your Manager Is Thinking When You Complain
Three things managers notice when they hear you complain during 1-on-1 meetings
 • Adler Hsieh
Your Recruiter Lied to You (Not on Purpose)
Why recruiter promises carry zero weight in your performance review, and what to do instead
 • Adler Hsieh
I Optimized CI Build Speed by 5 Seconds. My Manager Didn't Care.
How I learned to measure impact, not just effort
 • Adler Hsieh
Your Manager Can't Remember What You Did This Year
What I learned after writing 10k words of performance review feedback in one week
 • Adler Hsieh
You Don't Need a Mentor to Think Like a Senior
What five years of no senior dev taught me about growing on my own
 • Adler Hsieh
Stop Worrying About AI Replacing You. Start Worrying About This Instead.
The real reason senior engineers are harder to replace than you think
 • Adler Hsieh
Most Project Delays Are Caused by Surprises, Not Bad Code
A practical guide to stakeholder management for engineers who want to ship without the last-minute chaos.
 • Adler Hsieh
Handling Low Performers Without Becoming the Manager
A practical guide to protecting project outcomes when you don’t manage people
 • Adler Hsieh
© 2026 Adler Hsieh · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture