Welcome to DRI Your Career! We're glad you're here.

This course exists because the tech industry has shifted — and many of us are realizing that the career advice we've been following doesn't actually serve our long-term goals. You deserve to design a career that works for your life, not just for capitalism's quarterly targets.

Over the next several weeks, you'll work through modules that help you:

• Get clear on what you actually want (vs. what you think you should want)
• Build skills that travel with you across jobs and industries
• Navigate career transitions with intention
• Advocate for yourself effectively
• Design a sustainable, fulfilling career trajectory

Meet your instructors

Jean Hsu is a builder, writer, coach, and fractional engineering leader at early-stage startups. She was previously in leadership roles at Pulse, Medium, and Range, and also built out a leadership development company focused on engineers. She lives in Berkeley with her partner and three kids.

Cate Huston is the author of The Engineering Leader, fractional CTO at Twill, and engineering leadership coach. She was previously in leadership roles at DuckDuckGo and Automattic, and an advisor at Glowforge. She has been all over the world, but now lives in Ireland.

We've both coached engineers through the messy, non-linear reality of building a career in tech. We're here to help you do the same.

How to engage with each module

Modules are released on a schedule to give you time to absorb and reflect. You'll receive an email when each new module becomes available.

Read first. Start with the written content to understand the frameworks and concepts.

Listen to the audio. After reading, listen to the conversation between Jean and Cate. We explore the themes in more depth, share examples from our own experiences, and discuss nuances that don't always fit in the written material. You can download the audio to listen while walking, commuting, or doing other activities.

Do the exercises. The real work happens in the exercises. They're designed to help you clarify your thinking, identify patterns, and take concrete action. The more you put in, the more you'll get out.

Working with your coaches

You'll complete each module's exercises in a Google Doc workbook. Make a copy of each module's Google Doc for your own responses. Once you've finished the exercises for a module, submit your workbook here for feedback.

As your coaches, we will:

• Read your reflections and responses
• Provide personalized feedback and insights
• Ask follow-up questions to help you go deeper
• Suggest concrete next steps where relevant

How to get the most out of this course

• Block out time. We recommend at least 45 minutes a week and keeping up with the module deadlines. Give yourself dedicated time to think, write, and process.

• Be honest. The exercises work best when you're candid with yourself. No one is judging your answers.

• Reach out if you're stuck. If something doesn't make sense or you're struggling with an exercise, reply to any course email, and we'll reply promptly.

Slack Community

We've set up a Slack community for course participants to introduce themselves, connect, and self-organize any support you might want from each other.

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We're really looking forward to working with you over the coming weeks. Career transitions and growth can feel isolating, but you're not alone in this. We've been where you are — questioning, pivoting, figuring out what we actually want versus what we think we should want.

This course is the result of years of coaching conversations, our own career experiments, and a lot of hard-won lessons. We're excited to share it with you.

See you in Module 1.

— Jean and Cate