Noah Adelstein

Finding & Evaluating 1% GTM Engineers

International Growth @ Rippling & founder of The GTM Engineer Pod + Community

Davide Greico

Director of Growth @ Verkada

Alex Fine

Co-Founder at Understory

Ilija Stojkovski

CRO @ HeyReach

We'll cover what top hiring managers look for in GTM Engineering candidates and the best questions to ask

The key traits to look for in GTM Engineers

We'll dig into where leaders are looking to find best-in-class GTM Engineers

Where to find strong GTM Engineering candidates

What you can do if you're applying to GTM Engineering roles to stand out with the hiring team

How to stand out as a GTM Engineering candidate

As engineers, we are used to having things in our control - the outcome of the task normally depends on our implementation. Growing from senior engineer to a lead role requires a mindset shift. You become a multiplier for the team and helping others around you becomes one of the main priorities. You are not judged by your individual contribution anymore. The overall success of the team and projects is what becomes important. We will define the difference between engineering lead roles (1st week): - Overview of career paths and different options available + what you can expect- My personal recommendation for which may be the right fit for you- Main differences between Tech Lead, Team Lead and Engineering Manager We will define the exact steps you need to take to grow toward a lead role (1st and 2nd week): - How to build credibility in the engineering industry- How to let your manager know about your goals and aspirations- How to keep a brag list of all the wins that you achieve- How to become the go-to person or considered an expert in a certain engineering domain- How to manage up as an engineer- How to become a team player and a great engineer to work with- How to become business and product-minded engineer- Real world examples on how Gregor and others have grew from engineers to lead roles We will define the details to help you thrive in a lead role (2nd week): - Mistakes that Gregor has made as a first time manager- How to manage your time- How to have great 1:1 meetings- How to give feedback- How to create a great engineering culture- How to do hiring- How to build engineering teams- How to make decisions and resolve conflicts between engineers 10 exercises that will help you to apply your learnings immediately:﻿- Build your pros and cons list to help you with path selection- Become a credible engineer- Tell your manager about your goals and aspirations- Note down all the wins that you have achieved- Become the go-to engineer- Prepare your list of questions to ask before making your next technical decision- Optimize and manage your time- Fill in the agenda for the next 1:1 meeting- Checklist for a great engineering team or organization- Create a job brief for your next hire Bonus: 1. You'll receive 24 guides, templates and infographics (worth 340$) to help you to grow past senior engineer and thrive in a lead role.- Engineering Career Path Guide- Behavioral Interview List of Questions- Notion Template: Technical Specification- Notion Template: Incident Retrospective- Notion Template: Job Brief- Notion Template: 1:1 Meeting- Notion Template: Checklist for Great Engineering Organization- Notion Template: Hiring Board- Notion Template: Technical Strategy- Notion Template: List of questions to ask before making a technical decision- Notion Template: List of Achievements- Notion Template: Become a go-to person- Notion Template: Tell your manager about your goals and aspirations- Notion Template: Career Growth Plan- Notion Template: Become a credible engineer- Notion Template: Engineering Guild Space- Notion Template: Buy vs Build- Notion Template: Be a proactive engineer- Notion Template: RACI Chart for a Tech Project- Notion Template: Decide Your Career Path- Infographic: How to Build Credibility in The Engineering Industry- Infographic: How to Propose an Impactful Improvement to the Codebase and Own the Implementation- Infographic: How to Build Good Relationships- Infographic: 8 Signs That You Have a Good Manager 2. You'll receive a yearly paid subscription to the Engineering Leadership newsletter (150+ articles) (worth 120$). 3. A LOT of other materials for self-study and to learn further! All of the actionable insights from this course are based from Gregor's experience growing from Senior Engineer to Lead roles (Team Lead to Engineering Manager to Head of Engineering to VP of Engineering to CTO) and through countless successful projects + his network of professionals across various of different fields and disciplines.

Grow past senior engineer and develop the mindset needed for the lead role!

Course syllabus

5:00pm - 6:30pm CET, 11.00am - 12.30pm EST, 8.00am - 9.30am PST

Tuesdays & Thursdays

September 2, 4, 9 and 11 2025

Optional Q&A

Course schedule

Senior Software Engineers who wish to learn the competencies needed to grow and thrive in the Lead role (Tech Lead (Staff), Team Lead, EM).

Ambitious Software Engineers&nbsp;that want to level up and get to know all the skills needed in order to grow and thrive in a lead role.

Everyone in the engineering lead role who wishes to thrive in the role or help their reports with actionable steps towards a lead role.

Who is this course for

What you’ll get out of this course

You'll know what are the key differences between the Team Lead, Tech Lead (Staff), Engineering Manager. I will also share my&nbsp;personal&nbsp;recommendation which may be the right fit for you.

You'll know the exact differences between engineering lead roles

Whether that is the Tech Lead (Staff), Team Lead, Engineering Manager or Architect. You'll know which path is right for you.

You'll know the exact path you wish to take for your next step in your career

You'll get actionable steps for you to work on to grow toward the lead role. We will also go through real-world examples of how I and others have grown to a lead role.

You'll know the exact steps you need to take to grow toward the engineering lead role

You'll learn and understand how to adjust your mindset and focus on good communication and team alignment. I'll be sharing also the mistakes I made as a first-time manager.

You'll know the details to help you thrive in the engineering lead role

15 guides and templates to help you grow and thrive in the lead role. Free yearly access to the Engineering Leadership newsletter and a LOT of other resources for you to learn further.

You'll get 15 guides and templates, a free paid subscription, which will give you access to a LOT of resources for self-study

Learn skills and competencies to grow beyond Senior Engineer and thrive in a lead role (Team Lead, Tech Lead (Staff), Engineering Manager).

Gregor Ojstersek

CTO and Author of Engineering Leadership newsletter (140k+ subscribers)

Cohort 6

Cohort 7

As an engineer, you’ve mastered the coding challenges, system design, and behavioral interviews. But when it comes to Engineering Manager roles, the interview process is a different beast. You’ve likely hit a frustrating wall—interviews that feel like you’re doing everything right, but still no offer. You might not even know why you’re not breaking through. The truth? Engineering Manager interviews aren’t about discussing your experience—they’re about showcasing leadership, systems, and strategy in a way that resonates with the interviewer. To land the offer, you don't just need the right answers—you need memorable ones. This course is designed to bridge that gap and help you break through to land that Engineering Manager offer. We’ll focus on how to communicate your leadership capabilities, showcase your seniority, avoid red flags, and tailor your answers to what hiring managers are truly looking for. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to approach the interview process and confidently present yourself as the leader you know yourself to be. COURSE CONTENT:4 hours live classes + 2 mock interview sessions. Combined with peer networking, take home assignments, and live mock interviews in a group setting. Understanding the EM Hiring Process (1st week): - How the engineering manager role differs from individual contributor- How the hiring process differs across different orgs- How the hiring criteria for managers compares to engineering roles- Understand the hiring manager and what they're looking for- How tech skills are evaluated in an interview- How your abilities as a leader are evaluated in an interview\- Typical traits of technical leaders- How to use STAR format to convince- Must have EM stories- Homework: Your leadership philosophy- Homework: Your systems + frameworks Crafting Unforgettable Leadership Stories (1st week): - How to show the characteristics of a strong leader in an interview- Red flags to avoid- How to structure your story- Question behind the question: what the interviewer is really asking- How to craft memorable answers by leaning on your systems + leadership philosophy- How to tailor your answer based on org culture &amp; interviewer- How to handle questions when you never faced the situation- Homework: Prepare core EM stories- Homework: "Question behind the question" exercises Mock Interviews #1 (2nd week): - Every student will have the opportunity to answer interview questions in a group setting- Live feedback &amp; coaching Mock Interviews #2 (2nd week) - Based on overwhelmingly positive feedback from previous cohorts, we double down on mock interviews Bonus Material: - Guidance on must have EM stories that show up in 90% of interviews- How to manage up content- System Design interview guidance- Lifetime access to video recordings of all live sessions + transcribed with AI- Alumni Slack community with extra advice, regular meetings, and in-depth EM interview content- Class slides as a PDF- 15% off all career coaching services

Break Through the Interview Process and Land Your Engineering Manager Offer!

12:00pm - 2:00pm EST, 9:00am - 11:00am PST, 6:00pm - 8:00pm CET, 9:30pm - 11:30pm IST

Saturdays & Sundays

Jul 26, 27

Mock interviews with real-time coaching &amp; feedback

August 2, 3

Managers &amp; team leads that are getting interview opportunities but are unable to break through to land offers.

Senior Tech Leaders who have not interviewed for 7+ years and are looking for new roles (Sr. Manager, Director, VP).

Senior Software Engineers in lead roles looking to promote themselves to engineering manager by landing a new job.

You will gain a clear understanding of the differences between IC and EM tracks regarding skill set, experience, and hiring criteria. Learn the characteristics desired in Engineering Managers and how to effectively present your experiences to highlight these traits.

You'll understand the exact hiring criteria for Engineering Manager roles

You will learn exactly what the hiring manager is looking for in their decision making criteria. You will know how to speak their language and appeal to their most pressing needs.

You'll learn how to convince the hiring manager (Director+)

You will learn how to craft impactful leadership stories and use effective strategies ensuring you're never caught off guard. We'll dive deep into the dos and don'ts of storytelling with real-world examples.

You'll learn how to nail any behavioral question, even if you never faced the situation

You will learn what interviewers really want when they ask questions, helping you answer concisely and clearly. There is always a question behind the question, and you will know how to sniff it out.

You'll know exactly what the interviewer is looking for

A manager at a start-up has different criteria than a FAANG team lead. You'll learn how to craft your answers based on the company's culture and the interviewer's role to make you impossible to forget.

You'll learn how to tailor your answers to go from good to memorable

You will receive a supplemental "EM Interview Guide" that includes real interview questions along with expert guidance on how to answer them effectively. This resource will enhance your preparation and boost your confidence for Engineering Manager interviews.

You'll get the "EM Interview Guide" with real interview questions & guidance on how to answer them

There's no better teacher than experience. You will apply your learnings in mock interviews in a classroom setting, receiving real-time coaching and feedback.

You'll experience mock interviews with real-time coaching feedback

Learn the skills you need to ace interviews for senior leadership roles (Engineering Manager, Senior Manager, Team Lead). 

Alex Kliotzkin

Director of Engineering and Career Coach

Uzair Khan

Engineering Manager at Stripe and ex-Amazon Bar Raiser

Cohort 5

The ChallengeYour days are filled with:🗓️ back-to-back meetings,🚀 sky-high customer or investor expectations,⏱️ wishes that your team could move faster sooner,🔥 wishes that you could move even faster and work on what really matters instead of fighting fires. You start each day with the best intentions, but somehow find yourself constantly reacting instead of leading.&nbsp;Sure, it would be nice to focus on your own goals, but you care about those other people (or at least some of them 😁). They’re colleagues and customers, family and friends... How can you collaborate with them responsively without forsaking your goals and becoming just a (re-)Actor in their story? 🎬 ✨ You wonder if AI can help, you wonder how other leaders are using AI to manage it all and manage their teams--but honestly, who's got the time to figure that out? ⏳ You have a constant, lurking anxiety about what’s falling through the cracks or not getting done, so you work faster. As you try to move faster, people fall short of your expectations and their potential. It causes friction and frustration (even if you hide it well). It's uncomfortable to call out, so you avoid giving feedback or mention it lightly, which makes the situation more uncomfortable. Eventually, you decide to give feedback. Sometimes it goes okay. Often, you try to move through and out of the conversation as quickly as possible because it feels so awkward. Growth and improvements rarely last. You take on more work yourself to get it done. The Solution (Evidence-based. Immediately applicable.)⏱️&nbsp;EVERYTHING YOU READ BELOW WILL BE ORIENTED TO IMMEDIATE APPLICATION DURING THE COURSE ⏱️What if you could shift from reacting to the constant inputs to creating what matters most and leading your team in that direction--everyday? This course will support you, step by step, in building your Operating System to make this shift. Fancy apps aren't enough. Nor are bursts of motivation. A sustainable Operating System has 3 features:🧰 Tools (simple enough to keep using, and amplified by AI)🔁&nbsp;Habits (the tools don't use themselves...except for some of the AI ones we'll build)🧠 Mindsets (you can "productively" spend your life responding to other people's messages and requests--or build something that matters) No, "perfection" isn't possible (or even desirable). But our days--and our results--completely shift when we focus our attention systematically instead of ad-hoc and reactively. And our conversations shift when we stop trying to fix people and start inspiring them to take action and grow. We teach you how to do this by using straightforward approaches that reliably transform defensiveness and friction into self-reflection, connection, and motivation to grow. You will start to look forward to feedback conversations because you will know how to use them as powerful tools for building trust and deepening connection. You will also explore your own mindsets and beliefs around feedback, identifying your own patterns around conflict avoidance, people-pleasing, and controlling behaviors. AI is woven throughout the course, including:1️⃣ building your own Custom GPTs2️⃣&nbsp;mastering your calendar3️⃣ using AI as a practice partner for difficult conversations and coaching skills4️⃣ helping your team use AI, and so much more! Once you've shifted the way you manage yourself and lead your team conversations, applying evidence-based approaches tested with 1000s of managers and amplified with AI, the whole game becomes fun again. Bonus:📝 You will also get 5 step-by-step facilitation guides for sharing and teaching your team members everything we cover in this course. This helps establish shared language and frameworks within your team/organization, and positions you as the leader of change. 📖&nbsp;You'll also get our 20-page Offsite Playbook with step-by-step guidance on how to design and facilitate unforgettable team and company gatherings. 🚀 And you'll get to do this while in a practice lab with other high-growth leaders.

Spend your days fighting fires or each other?

Sundays (+ 1 Thursday)

Weekly Office Hours

High-Growth ManagersReady to move out of IC mode, you want to be the inspiring leader people thank for the rest of their careers.

ExecutivesYou know there's a better way than back-to-back meetings everyday. To scale your impact, you know you must scale yourself first

Startup FoundersYou're expanding your focus from building a product to building a team. And to do so, you need the team to step up fast.

You'll have the Inner and Outer Game in place:<ul><li>A systematic set of habits, tools, and mindsets to define What Matters Most each day and week</li><li>You'll be using your emotions as signals for what needs to happen next</li><li>Your mind will be at ease</li></ul>

Clear Focus & Emotional Balance

Whether you're currently intimidated by AI, curious, or all-in, you will:<ul><li>know exactly how to leverage Claude and ChatGPT to improve your skills and help you prepare for key conversations</li><li>have your own CustomGPT to do a recurring management task FOR you</li></ul>

AI As Your Ally (including your own CustomGPT)

<ul><li>Next Actions template (simplest tool possible to stay organized)</li><li>Weekly Preview Checklist (define what matters most and who should do it)</li><li>Daily Defining Checklist</li></ul>

The Operating System (feel on top of your s***)

<ul><li>Know how to decide WHAT to delegate to increase your leverage</li><li>Know HOW to delegate (to a person or AI) in ways that build confidence and follow-through</li></ul>

The Leverage Framework

<ul><li>GAIN Template for how to structure feedback conversations that inspire response-ability, action, and growth</li><li>how to use AI to prepare and practice</li></ul>

GAIN Feedback Framework

<ul><li>GROW Template for coaching conversations</li><li>The key skill to coach effectively</li><li>Know the difference between a feedback and a coaching conversation</li><li>how to use AI to practice and get feedback on a coaching conversation</li></ul>

GROW Coaching Framework

What if you felt on top of everything and your team were aligning and growing through every conversation with you?

Jack Cohen

Cohort 1

Cohort 2

Does this sound familiar? You’re expected to deliver more with less. Fewer people, tighter deadlines - and now AI is somehow your problem too. Your team depends on you for everything, and senior leaders have crazy expectations. You’re working harder than ever, but still feel like you’re not doing enough. You barely have time to think, let alone grow. And when things slip, you’re the one who has to explain. You don’t need another framework -you need a practical system that actually works. You’ll learn how to get your team moving without needing you in every step, how to build trust with leadership so they stop second-guessing you, and how to finally carve out time for your own growth. Together, we will:✅ Build a personal focus map that shows your blind spots and where to aim your efforts✅ Raise your team’s visibility - and your own - across the company✅ Create clear plans for each engineer, based on what actually motivates them✅ Connect your engineering work to business outcomes people care about I know you don’t have full days to spare. That’s why this course is built as a tight, practical program - no filler, no theory for theory’s sake. 6 super-focused sessions, each designed to give you tools you can use the next day. Here’s what we’ll cover: Session 1: Managing Engineers (Without Losing Your Mind)- The 3 drivers behind every engineer and how to spot them- Map your team using a simple grid, so you know what makes each person tick- Tactical ways to keep people motivated - without needing a new budget or promotion cycle- How to help your employees create a system that fits THEM (focused on day-to-day, not career growth with KPIs) Session 2: A Motivated Team That Delivers- Team meetings and focus days: two simple levers you’re probably - underusing.- The “Always Green” system: how to make sure you are meeting the executives' expectations- Tech debt + morale: match people to work they care about - and how to fix tech debt and morale at the same time.- The knowledge mapping method - how to measure your team as a whole and find the gaps to take your team forward Session 3: Your Own Growth- The EM Grid system: we'll create a map of where your current focus lies, and what are your blind spots.- The slow death of the hands-on EM: How to stay technical enough to be useful, without getting in the way.- How to avoid the ‘victim trap’ of engineering managers. Session 4: Building Visibility Across The Org- Getting taken seriously outside engineering: The simplest way to build trust with non-tech stakeholders.- Make some noise: Why it’s not enough to “just do the work” anymore - and how to make sure people actually notice.- Leadership trust: How to get senior leadership to take you seriously, know your name, and ask your input before making decisions that hit your team.- Other EMs: Why building real relationships with other EMs matters more than you think - and how to start. Session 5: Real Problems, Real Time- Decision Making 101: Recap of the approaches to solve problems from the best leaders in the world- We’ll focus on solving YOUR real challenges by applying the tools and tactics from the course. Session 6: Driving Real Impact- Product: How to stop launching features no one uses.- Business: Make your work matter to people outside your team.- Industry: Know your space well enough to be taken seriously.- PM partnerships: what a real partnership looks like and how to build one. Every day will have an optional 30 minute Q&amp;A session, to make sure you will be able to actually apply the lessons in your specific scenario.

Build a motivated team that’s trusted by leadership and runs without you.

This course is aimed at active Engineering Managers. We won't cover getting promoted to that role, and neither job searching.

Directly Managing Engineers

You should have at least a few years of experience in the role you are managing (Software/data/QA etc). 

Not covering outsider challenges.

Technical background

If your events are recurring and at the same time, it might be easiest to use a single line item to communicate your course schedule to students

Feel free to type out dates as your title as a way to communicate information about specific live sessions or other events.

May 7, 2022

Schedule items can also be used to convey commitments outside of specific time slots (like weekly projects or daily office hours).

Weekly projects

You are an Engineering Manager and you want to have a bigger say on things beyond your own team.

You have 2-10 years of management experience. You know the basics and you're ready to grow beyond the day-to-day and take the next step.

You manage 3-12 engineers, and don't have enough hours to do the kind of work you want to do.

What you’ll walk away with:

You’ll use the EM Grid to build a clear snapshot of where your time goes - across work like growing your people, shipping projects, or building relationships - and at different levels (you, your team, the org). You’ll spot what’s missing and where to shift focus.

A personal focus map to spot your blind spots and redirect your time to what actually moves the needle

You’ll learn how to get leadership to notice the work your team is doing — without begging for credit or flooding Slack. Expect specific tactics you can use to build trust and make sure your team isn’t overlooked.

A system to raise visibility for you and your team - without chasing credit or cringe

You’ll learn how to map each engineer to what they actually care about - and use that to assign work in a way that drives motivation, delivers results, and takes A LOT off your plate.

A plan to motivate each engineer on your team in a way that drives results (and frees you up)

We’ll break down how to understand the product, business, and industry context around your specific product and company - and how to tie your team’s output to metrics business stakeholders company actually care about. This applies even if your team is “infra” or “internal”.

A method to connect your work to business outcomes in your specific scenario

Learn the system to always deliver high-impact results as an EM under pressure.

Lightning Lessons

Finding & Evaluating 1% GTM Engineers