This story was recorded in April, 2020. Learn more about Nelson on his Twitter and blog.
Tell us a little about your current role: your title, the company you work at, and generally what sort of work does your team do?
I was most recently at Stripe. They do online payment processing, and it’s a pretty fast growing startup of about two thousand people. Engineering was around six hundred. When I left, I technically didn’t have a title. If I had stayed another two months, I would have been a Staff Engineer, because they finally rolled out titles after some years of internal debate.

StaffEng's platform is a resource for engineering leaders, offering insights into engineering management, team leadership, and organizational dynamics. Through articles, case studies, and interviews with engineering managers, StaffEng offers insights into effective leadership strategies, career development paths, and building high-performing engineering teams. Readers can learn about managing technical debt, fostering a culture of innovation, and navigating challenges in engineering management roles to advance their careers as engineering leaders.

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Nelson Elhage shares his experience as a Staff Engineer at Stripe, detailing different Staff Engineer archetypes including deep technical work, cross-cutting project management, and team vision keeping. He emphasizes the importance of building broad organizational context, focusing on high-impact projects like Sorbet (Ruby type checker), and developing relationships with engineering leadership. Key advice includes prioritizing focus over spreading efforts thin, understanding Conway's Law, and building estimation skills for technical systems.

Nelson Elhage - Formerly Staff Engineer at Stripe