#190 - The Staff+ Engineer’s Journey: Unlocking the Secrets of Staff+ Impact - Thiago Ghisi

Tech Lead Journal

“The three core expectations of a Staff+ engineer are having a high blast radius impact, able to do multi-scale planning & influence, and having high ownership & autonomy level.”

What does it take to become a Staff+ engineer? Thiago Ghisi, an experienced engineering leader and a Director of Engineering at Nubank, reveals the secrets in this episode. We discuss the path to becoming a Staff+ engineer and explore the attributes that set successful Staff+ engineers apart.

Thiago emphasizes that technical skills alone are not enough and outlines the three core expectations and three key behaviors for Staff+ engineers to demonstrate. Our conversation concludes with a discussion of the importance of finding role models and learning from their behaviors and approaches rather than following checklists.

If you’re an aspiring Staff+ engineer or simply interested in career growth in tech, don’t miss this episode! Tune in now to unlock the secrets to Staff+ success.

Listen out for:

• Career Journey - [00:02:11]
• Definition of a Staff+ Engineer - [00:04:24]
• The Different Level & Scope of Responsibilities - [00:09:43]
• What You Got Here Won’t Get You There - [00:18:54]
• High Blast Radius Impact - [00:23:34]
• Multi-Scale Planning & Influence - [00:27:23]
• Stakeholder Management - [00:31:06]
• Ownership & Autonomy Level - [00:35:52]
• Behaviors & Patterns - [00:43:51]
• Role Models Over Checklists - [00:51:53]
• 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:55:56]

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Thiago Ghisi’s Bio
Thiago Ghisi is the Director of Engineering for the Mobile Platform team at Nubank. He has nearly 20 years of experience in the software industry, having worked at companies like Apple, ThoughtWorks, and Amex. Ghisi has worn multiple hats - from Programmer to Project Manager to Quality Engineer, back to Engineering, and finally, Engineering Management, where he has been leading cross-functional teams in the Mobile FinTech space for the past eight years. He also hosts a podcast called “Engineering Advice You Didn’t Ask For” and writes extensively about Career & Leadership in Tech on LinkedIn & Twitter.

Follow Thiago:

• LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/thiagoghisi
• Twitter – @thiagoghisi

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