the anti-engineer – two minute tactics

if you wanna move ahead in your career, study things outside your main domain. this doesn't just apply to engineering, but to any field.

but for the engineers among you, if you covered the basics, it's time to invest in some things outside your field!

i'm nicolai, head of engineering at apex by COSMO CONSULT and here's my curriculum for the Anti-Engineer™

101 – careering: this is obvious! learn the game of work. negotiate. interview well. ask for raises. build a referral engine. position yourself on purpose. it will give you leverage in your job and help you capture more of the value you're creating!

201 – communicate: i consider both my parents to be professional listeners (they are psychologists and councillors), they taught me listening and talking from my birth. it's one of my unfair advantages! shape your thoughts clearly. ask precise questions. and simplify until it's just simple enough (but not too simple)

301 – business: now, this goes without saying, but an engineer who doesn't understand business will always rely on the expertise of product managers, of people in finance. you will always be an afterthought. engineers who understand money build better products. study value, pricing, and distribution. use the hormozi value equation. build PLG engines and make sure costs and pricing align!

401 – taste: we're reaching the highest levels of mastery here. if you study taste you study humanity. you study beauty. it's the final thing that sets you apart. it'll give your work a certain "spell"! quality is a feeling.

501 – empathy: okay, i lied, the really final thing to set you apart is empathy. it's working with humans. everything above touches empathy. it's the foundation to everything. without empathy there's more zero-sum. without empathy you can only really look out for yourself... so listen until people feel safe. trust removes friction. build people, then products.

that's it from me for today! see you next time! ciao!

PS: if you're a senior engineer and this resonated with you, great! i'm hiring two engineers to come work with me, shoot me a dm on linkedin if you're interested! (or know someone)