Welcome to The Engineering Leader
Great engineering leadership is more than checking off tasks. It energizes people, stitches teams together, and ships results that matter.
The Engineering Leader dishes out battle-tested tactics, straight-talk insights, and a wink of humor so you can lead with sharp focus, lasting impact, and unshakable confidence.
Who Is The Engineering Leader For?
Up-and-coming engineers plotting that first leap into leadership: future Team Leads, EMs, Staff, and Principal Engineers.
Seasoned Team Leads & Engineering Managers hunting for fresh tactics that actually move the needle.
Founders and execs intent on scaling lean, high-output engineering orgs.
Anyone who likes their leadership lessons spiked with humor, war stories, and sharp, no-nonsense advice.
If you’re ready to steer projects, teams, or whole companies toward bold growth and real innovation, you’re in the right inbox.
Who Am I?
I’m Rafa Páez, a senior engineering leader who’s been shipping software for 20 years and scaling engineering teams and backend systems for the last eight. I’ve steered multiple unicorn-stage startups through hyper-growth, all while leading fully remote squads that know how to move fast without breaking the culture. The Engineering Leader distills those scars and wins into playbooks you can use tomorrow.
Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Bluesky, Substack, YouTube and rafapaez.com.
My Best Issues
Not convinced yet? Start with these reader favorites and judge for yourself.
The Rise of the 100x Product Engineer
A few years ago, we debated whether the “10x engineer” was a myth or a reality. Today, with the power of AI and a shift toward product-led engineering, a new archetype is emerging: the engineer who delivers 100x the impact. The divide between those who “just code” and those who solve
High Agency: The Mindset of Successful Leaders
Ever since I discovered the concept of High Agency, it has captivated my attention, and now I cannot unsee it. Although the idea is not entirely new to me, I have finally found the perfect words to describe the way I have been approaching life and work.
The Books That Changed My Life
"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one."
Subscribe to The Engineering Leader and do more than back my writing. You’ll plug into a crew of ambitious engineers and leaders who trade ideas, swap lessons, and level up together.
