By: Jeff Gothelf

Jeff Gothelf — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:34:32 +0000

Thanks Dave. Totally agree that it's critical you're comfortable with the skillsets of the founding team at a startup before joining.

By: Dave Cahill

Dave Cahill — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:30:21 +0000

Good post – similar paths apply in software engineering, and it's likewise often useful to remind folks to put some thought into their options, before they realise they should have thought about it years ago. Generally folks who want to progress their engineering career will either go down the team lead -> project manager route, or into architect/senior engineer type roles. As with the designers, it's a fairly binary junction, though on the one side the line between architecture/design (in the engineering sense) and staying in straight development work is pretty blurred most of the time.
And as you rightly point out, there's always the startup option, which can combine the two and god knows what else besides. One thing I would warn folks though is that if you're going to do down that road, you either need to be prepared to be a business person too, or find a business person you trust to work with. Don't know how it is for designers, but engineers contemplating startups often seem to focus on the tech stuff to the apparent exclusion of realising they'll need to be a businessperson too.

By: go_tkg

go_tkg — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:19:09 +0000

Great article!
I believe that deep in your heart you know what you are (or what you're going to be): A manager or a SME.
Finding a way to combine the two makes you utilize all your skills.
Thanks.

Comments on: You can have it all

By: Jeff Gothelf

By: Dave Cahill

By: go_tkg