Investing in yourself is a great investment anytime! I am sharing with you my personally curated resources to level up and grow to become a great engineering leader in 2026!I’ve been continuously curating them for over 5 years now.Topics span from software engineering, system design, data engineering, leadership, management, and all the way to AI and product and business.There are a LOT of resources here, and your time is very important. I don’t suggest trying to learn all of the resources at once; I suggest picking a few resources at a time from specific categories that you need the most. That’s what I do as well.When I need to go into more detail in a specific category, I choose the resources and do a deep dive into the specific topics. I also connect with certain individuals, check their posts, and/or ask them questions.Important: Before you choose which resources you wish to go into more detail, I suggest doing a retrospective of your current skill set and defining where you need to improve. To help you with finding out what skills you need, this is a great article: Become a Great Engineering Leader in 2026. And for a full roadmap to break into Engineering Leadership, check this article: Full Roadmap to Break Into Engineering LeadershipThis will ensure you are spending your time on the most impactful things first!List of booksDesigning Data-Intensive Applications by Martin KleppmannSystem Design Interview by Alex XuPatterns of Enterprise Application Architecture by Martin FowlerUnderstanding Distirbuted Systems by Roberto VitilloClean Architecture by Robert C. MartinSystems Analysis and Design, multiple editions and multiple authorsBuilding Microservices: Designing Fine-Grained Systems by Sam NewmanFundamentals of Software Architecture by Neal Ford and Mark RichardsSoftware Architecture: The Hard Parts by Neal Ford, Mark Richards, Pramod Sadalage and Zhamak DehghaniSite Reliability Engineering: How Google Runs Production Systems by Niall Richard Murphy, Betsy Beyer, Chris Jones and Jennifer PetoffLearn System Design in a Hurry, (Helping FAANG+ Software Engineering candidates land their dream job) by Evan KingList of blogsMeta EngineeringAWS ArchitectureThe Netflix TechApple Security TechGoogle AI/Research LinkedIn EngineeringUber EngineeringEngineering at QuoraPinterest EngineeringLyft Engineering Twitter EngineeringDropbox Engineering Spotify EngineeringGithub EngineeringInstagram EngineeringCanva EngineeringBooking.com TechThe Airbnb TechStripe EngineeringDiscord Engineering and DesignEngineering at MicrosoftReddit Engineering Slack Engineering AsanaDigitalOceanCloudFlareHelloInterviewList of newslettersThe System Design Newsletter by Neo Kim ByteByteGo by Alex Xu AlgoMaster Newsletter by Ashish Pratap Singh Byte-Sized Design by Byte-Sized Design System Design Codex by Saurabh DashoraSystem Design Classroom by Raul Junco Big Tech Careers by Prasad Rao Simple AWS by Guille OjedaLevel Up Coding System Design Newsletter by Level Up Coding Hacking Scale by Better Stack by Richard Oliver Bray People to follow on LinkedInNeo KimAlex XuRaul JuncoSaurabh DashoraShalini GoyalNikki SiapnoMayank AhujaPrasad RaoGuille OjedaEvan KingList of booksThe Making of a Manager by Julie ZhuoThe First 90 Days by Michael D. WatkinsThe Lean Manager by Andrew and Muhammad WilkersonThe Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni (my personal favorite)The Manager's Path by Camille FournieriLeadership in 60 seconds by Omar HalabiehAct Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader by Herminia IbarraThe 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. MaxwellCrucial Conversations by Kerry PattersonHow to Lead When You're Not in Charge by Clay ScrogginsThink Again by Adam GrantThe Mind of the Leader by Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline CarterThe Culture Map by Erin MeyerEngineering Management for the rest of us by Sarah DrasnerData Leadership for Everyone by Anthony J. AlgminMultipliers by Liz WisemanImpact Players by Liz WisemanAn Elegant Puzzle: Systems of Engineering Management by Will LarsonLeading Snowflakes by Oren EllenbogenLeading Effective Engineering Teams by Addy OsmaniBecome an Effective Software Engineering Manager by James StanierList of newslettersEngineering Leadership by Gregor Ojstersek (this newsletter)Elevate by Addy OsmaniManager.dev by Anton ZaidesScarlet Ink by Dave AndersonThe Hybrid Hacker by Nicola BallottaThe Caring Techie Newsletter by Irina Stanescu Tech World With Milan Newsletter by Dr Milan MilanovićThe Conscious Leader by Taha Hussain The Engineering Manager by James Stanier Techlead Mentor by Raviraj Achar Refactoring by Luca RossiLevel up as a Tech Lead by Anemari Fiser Thinking in Tech by Dariusz Sadowski Adrian Builds by Adrian Stanek Level Up by Ethan Evans by Ethan Evans The Chronicles of a High EQ Leader by Djordje Mladenovic 🔮 Crafting Tech Teams by Denis Čahuk The Leader’s Playbook by Ali Merchant The Software Engineering Times by Ryan Murphy Beyond Your Limits by Pramoda Vyasarao Product Driven Newsletter by Matt Watson Alex Ewerlöf Notes by Alex Ewerlöf Sudo Make Me a CTO by Sergio Visinoni People to follow on LinkedInGregor OjstersekOmar HalabiehIrina StanescuLuca RossiAddy OsmaniTaha HussainAnton ZaidesDr Milan MilanovićDavid AndersonAnemari FiserPedro Gil CarvalhoDariusz SadowskiAdrian StanekAli MerchantAlexander KliotzkinEthan EvansDjordje MladenovicDenis ČahukMatt WatsonSarah GruneisenPramoda VyasaraoSteven ClaesAnna J McDougallRyan MurphyJames StanierAlex EwerlöfItzy SaboDaria RudnikTobias MendeAnthony AlgminArticlesEngineering Leader’s Guide: How to Become a Great Coach and MentorThis Is Holding Most Engineers Back from Lead RolesStuck at Senior Engineer - How to Break Through and Reach the Next Level 7 Must-Have Engineering Manager Stories That Will Land You the Offer Engineer to Leader: 10 Insights to Get You Started Become an Engineering Leader Everyone Wants to Work With Your Engineering Team Should be Looking to Solve Customer Problems How to Ace Engineering Manager Interviews The State of Engineering Leadership in 2025 First time in a leading position? This is what to do15 Productivity Hacks Every Engineer & Manager Should Know Not Communicating Your Impact is Killing Your Career How I Grew From Engineer to CTO Full Roadmap to Break Into Engineering Leadership in 2025 What’s Next After Senior Engineer? Why you should do a Tech Lead rotation in your engineering team 5 mindset shifts needed to grow from engineer to leader Help your manager to help you 5 lessons learned setting up a global engineering org at GoogleHow to build trust as an engineering leader How to Build Trust as an Engineering Leader Part 2: Structure and Execute the PlanGreat engineering leaders create leaders3 main soft skills a Tech Lead needs to developSenior Engineer to Lead: Who to promote and how to train themHow to become a CTO12 ways to become a CTO Good managers are hard to find and once you have them, they should be appreciatedWhat does a CTO doFrom IC to managerHow to develop a great tech strategyHow to recognize the potential in engineers How to manage up as an engineer or a managerSoftware Engineering team structure that worksEngineering org structure that worksHow teaching made me a better engineer and managerFrom Tech Lead to Team LeadHow I organized my time as a full-time CTOHow to create a great engineering organization where people can thriveHow to use engineering metrics for the success of engineers and teamsFrom Engineer to Principal Solutions Architect at AWS with Prasad RaoHow to create a culture of ownership in your engineering teamBlameless culture should be a standard in the engineering industryHow to become a Fractional CTO?How to handle underperformanceHow to have a top performing, healthy and active day as an engineer or a managerThe importance of having a career growth plan in the engineering industry8 signs that you have a good managerLeading 1 team vs 3 teams vs 5+ teamsList of booksThe Pragmatic Programmer by Andy Hunt and Dave ThomasRefactoring by Martin Fowler and Kent Beck Why Programs Fail by Andreas ZellerClean Code by Robert Cecil MartinGrokking Algorithms by Aditya Y. BhargavaStaff Engineer by Will LarsonModern Software Engineering by David FarleyWorking Effectively with Legacy Code by Michael FeathersEngineering Software Products by Ian SommervilleDon't Make Me Think by Steve KrugCode Complete by Steve McConnellThe Staff Engineer's Path by Tanya ReillyCracking the Coding Interview by Gayle Laakmann McDowellSoftware Engineering Guidebook by Gergely OroszThe Staff Engineer’s Path by Tanya ReillyThe Product-Minded Engineer by Drew HoskinsCracking the Coding Interview by Gayle Laakmann McDowellClean Code Cookbook: Recipes to Improve the Design and Quality of your Code by Maximiliano ContieriList of newslettersEngineering Leadership by Gregor Ojstersek (this newsletter)Coding Challenges by John CrickettDeveloping Skills by John CrickettHigh Growth Engineer by Jordan CutlerThe Developing Dev by Ryan Peterman The T-Shaped Dev by Petar IvanovHungry Minds by Alexandre Zajac The Hustling Engineer by Hemant Pandey A Life Engineered by Steve Huynh The Software Engineer Weekly by Kevin Naughton Jr. Level Up Software Engineering 🚀 by Caleb Mellas Optivem Journal by Valentina Jemuović Engineer's Codex by Leonardo Creed The Modern Software Developer by Richard Donovan Strategize Your Career by Fran Soto The Pragmatic Engineer by Gergely Orosz Software Design: Tidy First? by Kent Beck Dev Details by Mike Front-End Focus by Mads Brodt Craft Better Software by Daniel Moka Saiyan Growth Letter by Tiger Abrodi The Polymathic Engineer by Franco Fernando ByteSizedBets by TheAnkurTyagi Path to Staff Engineer by Sidwyn Koh Marko Denic Tech by Marko DenicPeople to follow on LinkedInGregor OjstersekJohn CrickettJordan CutlerRyan PetermanCaleb MellasRichard DonovanDaniel MokaTiger AbrodiHemant PandeyAlexandre ZajacBrian JenneyFrancisco Manuel (Fran) Soto RamírezGergely OroszKent BeckSteve HuynhKevin NaughtonDaniel GlejznerValentina (Cupać) JemuovićRahul PandeyAlex ChiouMike ThorntonMarko DenicMads BrodtPetar IvanovFernando FrancoAnkur TyagiHarley FergusonJames WillettMilan JovanovićEric RobyZubin PratapSam WilliamsMaximiliano ContieriSidwyn KohArticlesHow to grow from mid-level to senior Software EngineerFuture Proof Your Career as an Engineer in Gen AI WorldTech Lead is Becoming One of the Most Important Roles in Tech Due to GenAISaying “I don’t know” Is a Sign of Seniority For MeHow to Gain Respect From Your Peers and Leadership as an EngineerThe Importance of Writing in the Engineering Industry How to build good relationships inside and outside your engineering teamBest engineers are focusing on helping othersGrowing from engineer to Staff engineer and thrivingPerfectionism - one of the biggest productivity killers in the engineering industryHow to let your manager know about your goals and aspirations5 skills to develop to grow from Senior to Staff EngineerHow to be a reliable engineerHow to be a proactive engineerSimple code is the best codeFrom Shy Engineer to Director at Oracle and a Skilled CommunicatorHow to propose an impactful improvement to the codebase and own the implementationHow to build credibility in the engineering industryHow to prevent burning out in the engineering industryContext-switching - one of the worst productivity killers in the engineering industryGoing from impostor one day to feeling like a superhuman the next daySimplifying as much as possible is the way to go in the engineering industryEngineer's Guide to Freelance WorkHow to Develop a Senior MindsetThrive in your first 90 days when starting a new position as an engineerBecome the go-to engineer in your organizationHow Can Engineers and PMs Collaborate Effectively?How I was able to get promoted while constant reorganizationKeep a brag list of the wins you achieved, thank me laterGrow in your career by organizing an engineering guildStarting my career again as a junior engineerA good engineer thinks like a product managerThe importance of data when making decisions in the engineering industryA CS Degree is not needed to be successful as a Software EngineerWhy your job search is failing as an engineer or a manager (and how to fix it)You don’t need to be a manager to have a successful career in the engineering industryEngineer’s guide to convincing your Product Manager to prioritize technical debtTimeless skills in Software DevelopmentThe importance of forming opinions in the engineering industryList of booksInspired: How to Create Products Customers Love by Marty CaganEmpowered by Marty CaganLoved: How to Rethink Marketing for Tech Products by Martina LauchengcoTransformed by Marty CaganStart with Why by Simon SinekBuild: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making by Tony FadellWhat Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You by Melina PalmerThe Lean Startup by Eric RiesList of newslettersLenny's Newsletter by Lenny Rachitsky The Product Compass by Paweł Huryn Product Growth by Aakash Gupta Wes Kao's Newsletter by Wes Kao Product Management IRL by Amy Mitchell Leah’s ProducTea by Leah TharinElena's Growth Scoop by Elena VernaUntrapping Product Teams by David PereiraBehind the Craft by Peter Yang by Peter YangThe Looking Glass by Julie ZhuoThe Beautiful Mess by John CutlerGTM Strategist by Maja Voje People to follow on LinkedInLenny RachitskyPawel HurynAakash GuptaWes kaoAmy MitchellLeah TharinElena VernaDavid PereiraJulie ZhuoPeter YangJohn CutlerMaja VojeList of booksFundamentals of Data Engineering by Matt HousleyData Engineering with Python by Paul CrickardSpark: The Definitive Guide by Matei ZahariaBig Data: Principles and Best Practices of Scalable Realtime Data Systems by James Warren97 Things Every Data Engineer Should Know by Tobias MaceyList of newslettersDataExpert.io Newsletter by Zach WilsonSeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter by SeattleDataGuyDaily Dose of Data Science by Avi ChawlaData Engineering Central by Daniel BeachData Engineering Weekly by Ananth PackkilduraiJoe Reis by Joe Reis Data Gibberish by Yordan Ivanov People to follow on LinkedInZach WilsonBenjamin RogojanAvi ChawlaDaniel BeachAnanth PJoe ReisYordan IvanovList of booksDesigning Machine Learning Systems: An Iterative Process for Production-Ready Applications by Chip HuyenMachine Learning System Design Interview by Ali Aminian and Alex Xu AI Engineering: Building Applications with Foundation Models by Chip HuyenBuilding Applications with AI Agents by Michael Albada AI Systems Performance Engineering by Chris FreglyPrompt Engineering for LLMs by John Berryman and Albert ZieglerPrompt Engineering for Generative AI by James Phoenix and Mike TaylorBuilding LLMs for Production by Louis-François Bouchard and Louie PetersBuilding Generative AI Services with FastAPI by Alireza ParandehEssential Math for AI by Hala NelsonMathematics of Machine Learning by Tivadar DankaLLM Engineer's Handbook by Paul Iusztin and Maxime LabonneLLMs in Production by Christopher Brousseau and Matt SharpList of newslettersMarvelous MLOps Substack by Maria Vechtomova & Başak Tuğçe Eskili AI Supremacy by Michael Spencer Into AI by Dr. Ashish Bamania The Palindrome by Tivadar Danka Decoding ML by Paul Iusztin The AI Engineer by Owain Lewis Nate’s Substack by Nate Neural Bits by Alex Razvant The AI-Augmented Engineer by Jeff Morhous Gradient Ascent by Sairam Sundaresan People to follow on LinkedInOwain LewisPaul IusztinDr. Ashish BamaniaMaria VechtomovaBaşak Tuğçe EskiliMichael SpencerChip HuyenLi YinRaphaël HoogvlietsHamel HusainMeri NovaTimur BikmukhametovAlex RazvantSairam SundaresanArticlesHow to Use AI to Help With Planning Engineering ProjectsHow to Use AI to Help With Software Engineering TasksCompanies Should Stop Obsessing Over AI Tools And Do This InsteadHow AI Is Impacting Engineering LeadershipThe Impact of AI on Engineering TeamsHow to Use AI to Improve Teamwork in Engineering Teams OpenAI's Product Leader Reveals: AI Product Strategy for Engineering Leaders LLMs: Common Terms Explained, Simply Guide to Rapidly Improving AI Products Part 1 Guide to Rapidly Improving AI Products Part 2 Biggest Mistakes Engineering Leaders Make With AI AI Evals: How To Systematically Improve and Evaluate AIHow to Measure AI Impact in Engineering Teams Engineering Leader's Guide to Managing Unrealistic AI ExpectationsGuide to Prompt Engineering Why 51% of Engineering Leaders Believe AI Is Impacting the Industry NegativelyFuture Proof Your Career as an Engineer in Gen AI WorldHow to Use AI to Be a Great Engineering Leader Top AI Coding Tools for Engineering Teams in 20255 AI Tools to Build to Be a Better Engineering Leader in 2025How to use Cursor AI to build side projectsHow to use AI to increase Software Development productivityWill AI replace mid-level engineers in 2025?You have an AI product, how to get users? Enforcing the use of AI in engineering teams - good or bad thing?List of booksCoaching for Performance Fifth Edition: The Principles and Practice of Coaching and Leadership by Sir John Whitmore The Prosperous Coach: Increase Income and Impact for You and Your Clients by Steve Chandler and Rich LitvinThe Coaches' Handbook: The Complete Practitioner Guide for Professional Coaches by Jonathan PassmoreCoaching Skills: The Definitive Guide to Being a Coach by Jenny RogersCoaching: The Secret Code to Uncommon Leadership by Ruchira ChaudharyList of booksSocial Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships by Daniel GolemanThe Art of Empathy by Karla MclarenHow to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale CarnegieMindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. DweckArticlesEmpathy is a superpower in the engineering industryHow to develop EQ as an engineer or a managerHow to communicate with stakeholders the right wayHow Engineering Leaders Stay Calm and Effective When It Gets PersonalAny books, newsletters, people or any other resources that you know would be a great addition to this list? Make sure to add them in the comments! I am always in the lookout for some more great books / newsletters / people to learn from!We are not over yet!Check out my latest video. I am sharing all about freelance work, including how much it has helped me, the different ways you can start with it, and how you can potentially scale it as well.New video every Sunday. Subscribe to not miss it here:Subscribe to the channel!Liked this article? Make sure to 💙 click the like button.Feedback or addition? Make sure to 💬 comment.Know someone that would find this helpful? Make sure to 🔁 share this post.Join the Cohort course Senior Engineer to Lead: Grow and thrive in the role here.Interested in sponsoring this newsletter? Check the sponsorship options here.Take a look at the cool swag in the Engineering Leadership Store here.Want to work with me? You can see all the options here.You can find me on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Bluesky, Instagram or Threads.If you wish to make a request on particular topic you would like to read, you can send me an email to info@gregorojstersek.com.This newsletter is funded by paid subscriptions from readers like yourself.If you aren’t already, consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive the full experience!Check the benefits of the paid planYou are more than welcome to find whatever interests you here and try it out in your particular case. Let me know how it went! Topics are normally about all things engineering related, leadership, management, developing scalable products, building teams etc.No posts