I'm a software engineer - what next?
"I'm a Software Engineer, What Next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions, from individual contributor roles to management and beyond. Featuring discussions on personal growth and leadership, this podcast is a guide for engineers seeking direction and growth in their careers. Join us to explore the paths and possibilities that lie ahead in the tech industry.
Episodes
From IT support to co-founding BorrowMyDoggy: Les Cochrane on his road to becoming a CTO
Welcome back to I'm a Software Engineer ~ What Next? The podcast for devs figuring out their next move. Hosted by James Wilson and Matt Sinclair, we talk honestly about what it takes to build a meaningful career in tech.This week we're joined by Les Cochrane, CTO at Practice Toolkit, building software for GPs inside the NHS. Les started in hardware, networks and second-line IT support, switched to
From KC-10 refuellers to centaur coding with Peter Marreck
Welcome back to I'm a Software Engineer, What Next? The podcast for devs figuring out their next move. Hosted by James Wilson and Matt Sinclair, we talk honestly about what it takes to build a meaningful career in tech.This week we're joined by Peter Marreck, who's currently consulting on AI for legal workflows. Peter's route in was not the standard one. Four years in the US Air Fo
If you bend it, you have to mend it: Ben Moag on tanks, trading floors, and the AI quality cliff
Welcome back to I'm a Software Engineer, What Next? The podcast for devs figuring out their next move. Hosted by James Wilson and Matt Sinclair, we talk honestly about what it takes to build a meaningful career in tech.This week we're joined by Ben Moog, Head of Engineering at InsurX. Ben's path is not the usual one. Computer science at Bristol, then Sandhurst and a stint as a tank commander in th
From the Joburg Stock Exchange to CTO of Zilch: Sean Hederman on why being right doesn't scale
Welcome back to I'm a Software Engineer, What Next? The podcast for devs figuring out their next move. Hosted by James Wilson and Matt Sinclair, we talk honestly about what it takes to build a meaningful career in tech.This week we're joined by Sean Hederman, CTO of Zilch, one of the UK's biggest fintechs. Sean was the second hire at Zilch. Before that he built bi-temporal reference data systems a
From DevOps to Novels: Richard Bown on Engineering with Empathy
This week on I'm a Software Engineer ~ What Next? James and Matt are joined by Richard Bown, DevOps engineer and author of Human Software, a novel that captures the messy, human side of engineering work.We get into:Richard’s winding journey from IC to manager and back again — and why that detour made him a better engineerWhy burnout, bad management, and “culture fit” aren’t bugs — they’re design f
From engineering bootcamps, founding startups to GitHub: Kate’s PM Journey
Welcome back to I’m a Software Engineer: What Next?This week we are joined by Kate Catlin, Senior Product Manager at GitHub, where she works on Copilot and the future of AI-powered developer experience.In this episode, we cover:• How Kate reinvented her career multiple times on the path to GitHub• What “good product intuition” really means for PMs and engineers• How AI is reshaping product work, a
Speaking Like a Human with Stew Bewley
Welcome back to I'm a Software Engineer ~ What Next? — the podcast for devs figuring out their next move. Hosted by James Wilson and Matt Sinclair, we talk honestly about what it takes to build a meaningful career in tech.In this week's episode, we cover:Why most engineers struggle with presenting and how to fix itStew's simple 5-step storytelling framework (hero, dragon, weapon, treas
How to Survive Getting Laid Off, and Come Back Stronger with Steve Jaffe
S01E15 The One Where You Get Let GoLaid off? You’re not alone, and it doesn’t mean you're broken. In this week’s episode of I’m a Software Engineer ~ What Next?, we talk to Steve Jaffe, ad industry veteran and author of The Layoff Journey, about how to bounce back after losing your job — and how to find real clarity in the chaos.Steve's been through four layoffs — from the dot-com crash to
Crash, Pivot, and Keep Going
Welcome back to I'm a Software Engineer ~ What Next? — the podcast for devs figuring out their next move. Hosted by recruiter James Wilson and engineer Matt Sinclair, we unpack what it really means to build a career in tech today.This week, we sit down with Dan Moore — author of Letters to a New Developer, startup founder, DevRel leader, and all-round tech veteran — to talk about how careers reall
Startups, setbacks, and landing at Anthropic
So you're off to work at Anthropic? S01E14 The One Where We Wonder: What happens now that I have a job at one of the world's premier AI companies?Welcome back to I'm a Software Engineer ~ What Next? — the podcast for devs figuring out their next move. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and software engineer Matt Sinclair, we unpack what it really means to build a career in tech toda
Do You Really Need to Do a Coding Interview?
Welcome back to I'm a Software Engineer ~ What Next? — the podcast for devs figuring out their next move. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and software engineer Matt Sinclair, we unpack what it really means to build a career in tech today — from navigating interviews to scaling as an engineering leader.In this week's episode, we dig into the most debated topic on dev Twitter and Linke
Is AI going to take software engineer jobs?
Welcome back to I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next? — the podcast for devs figuring out their next move. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and software engineer Matt Sinclair, we unpack what it really means to build a career in tech today — from navigating new tools to redefining what it means to be a "good" engineer.In this week's episode, we tackle the question that’s been
Is AI Helping Engineers — Or Making Things Worse?
In this episode of What Next? I'm a Software Engineer, James Wilson is joined by Matthew Sinclair to unpack how AI is changing the way engineers work, code, and think. They discuss:Why AI is both a superpower and a trapThe shift from imperative to declarative computingHow tools like Claude can help you rubber-duck a specWhy engineers who refuse to adapt may fall behindWhat hiring managers are real
When to Jump Ship (or Stay Put) as an Engineer
"I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions from individual contributor roles to management and beyond. Featuring discussions on personal growth and leadership, this podcast guides engineers see
You are not your title: Rethinking career progression in tech
I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next? is a podcast for software engineers at a crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran engineer Matt Sinclair, it explores what it means to grow in your career—whether you're staying on the IC track, moving into leadership, or redefining success entirely.🎙 In this episode, we tackle the title trap.Matt and James dig into:- How culture affects ho
You Are Not Your Language: Escaping Tech Stack Identity Traps
Are you a React developer, or just someone who uses React?In this episode of What Next?, Matt and James dig into:Why engineers get stuck identifying with tools, not skillsWhat hiring managers often look forHow to stand out by showing how you think, not just what you knowWhy AI will amplify your strengths, or your mistakesWe go deep on how engineers can future-proof their careers by thinking beyond
When Good Candidates Don’t Get Hired (and Why That Happens)
In our first short episode Matt and James dive into something every hiring manager and recruiter has faced: Candidates who seem like a great fit — strong CV, good early interviews — but don’t make it through. Or, just as often, the ones that slip through the cracks but might have been the right hire.Drawing on Matt’s years of experience leading engineering teams, we talk through:Why hiring starts
What's next for What's Next? A short mid-season review of where we are going next
I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next? S01E05 A short mid-season review of where we are going next"I'm a Software Engineer ~ What Next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions from individual contributor roles to management and beyond. Featurin
Career transitions, international moves, and leading teams from the female perspective.
I'm a Software Engineer — what next? S01E04 Swapnali Bhansali - Navigating Career Growth, Leadership, and ChallengesI'm a Software Engineer, What Next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions from individual contributor roles to management an
How can software engineers work with VCs and PEs?
I'm a Software Engineer — what next? S01E03 Danielle Ullner - VC and PEI'm a Software Engineer, What Next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions from individual contributor roles to management and beyond. Featuring discussions
How do you manage complexity? Management and leadership frameworks for software engineers.
I'm a Software Engineer — what next? S01E02 Michael Smith (CEO Sagittal) - Frameworks"I'm a Software Engineer, What Next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions from individual contributor roles to management and beyond. Fe
What should you do next in your software career? Boundary conditions for software engineers
I’m a Software Engineer — what next? S01E01 Carlton Lane - Boundary Conditions"I'm a Software Engineer, What Next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads.Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions from individual contributor roles to management and beyond.Featuring discu
S01E00: I’m a software engineer - what next? [Pilot]
I'm a Software Engineer - What Next? S01E00 Pilot - James and Matt"I'm a Software Engineer - What Next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. It is hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matthew Sinclair and offers insights into navigating career transitions from individual contributor roles to management and beyond. This podcas
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