#181 - Engineer Your Career and Your Life: Timeless Career Advice and the Power of Small Bets - Louie Bacaj

“Engineers make this mistake of thinking that if they just do the work, they’re going to be rewarded. But it’s just not how it happens. Be heads down, add the value, do great work, but don’t forget to make the noise." Louie Bacaj is a software engineer and engineering leader who turned entrepreneur. In this episode, Louie shares his unique career journey and valuable insights for aspiring tech professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs. Louie reveals the secrets behind his rapid career progression, sharing the key differences between working in a big corporate versus a nimble startup, and the challenges and rewards of wearing multiple hats. He offers practical advice on self-upskilling, embracing more senior management roles, and excelling at people management. He also shares timeless career advice for engineers at all stages of their journey. Louie then opens up about his entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the importance of taking small bets and learning from the small wins, and embracing freedom and independence by building your own business. Plus, discover why strong writing skills are a secret weapon for success at any stage of your career. This episode is packed with actionable tips and inspiration for anyone navigating the tech industry – whether you’re a seasoned engineer or an aspiring entrepreneur.   Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:02:14] Big Corporate vs. Startup - [00:03:36] Wearing Multiple Hats - [00:06:02] Self-Upskilling Rapidly - [00:08:18] Louie’s Rapid Career Progression - [00:10:56] Getting Comfortable with More Senior Roles - [00:16:00] Tips on People Management - [00:21:55] Timeless Career Advice for Engineers - [00:25:41] Going Into Entrepreneurship - [00:31:24] Sense of Freedom & Independence - [00:38:59] Small Bets - [00:45:10] Learning from Small Wins - [00:49:12] The Importance of Writing Skills - [00:54:24] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:59:18] _____ Louie Bacaj’s BioLouie Bacaj is a Software Engineer and Engineering Leader who turned Entrepreneur. Over the last decade, he has helped build multiple engineering teams and systems that scaled to millions of users. But he decided to leave that career behind for entrepreneurship. Since quitting, he has realized that building an audience is an asset to entrepreneurship. It’s a great way to help people and to have them help him. But as an awkward engineer, he had no idea where to start. So he started writing and Tweeting his story. And everything he has learned so far. Since starting this entrepreneurial journey in September 2021, he has built multiple SaaS apps with his brother. He created two courses that have sold over 1500 times. And he has grown a sizeable audience. Follow Louie: Twitter / X – @LBacaj LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/louiebacaj Website – louiebacaj.com Small Bets – smallbets.com _____ Our Sponsors Enjoy an exceptional developer experience with JetBrains. Whatever programming language and technology you use, JetBrains IDEs provide the tools you need to go beyond simple code editing and excel as a developer.Check out FREE coding software options and special offers on jetbrains.com/store/#discounts.Make it happen. With code. Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.Get a 40% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead24 for all products in all formats. Like this episode?Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/181.Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.Buy me a coffee or become a patron.