Roadmap to Technical Leadership

I summarize the roadmap to be an expert of certain technology

• Master the full technology stack from kernel to app level, to market dynamics and the big picture

• Build the path of how newest information flow and propagate

• Raise your industry influence

An expert knows where is the cutting edge and innovate the next step. Impact by influence.

Master the Technology Stack

To master the technology stack, you need to solid foundation and grasp the cutting edge

• Understand each layer of the technology, till deep into the Kernel

• Understand the peripheral related technologies

• Understand the history, motivations, pro & cons, usecases, comparisons, etc

• Understand the current status, future movements, problems to be solved, etc

It also includes good market understanding

• Understand the market adoptions, key users and their concerns

• Understand key players, vendors, startups and each of their divisions, advantanges and killer usecases

• Understand the ecosystems, market dynamics and the globally big picture

Build Information Flow

An expert needs where to obtain the cutting edge updates and knows what is going on underwater about future directions.

• The connections with people and discussions on-site summits/conferences are usually sources of underwater future.

• Dev maillists, code reviews, newsletters/blogs, summits/conferences releases, show community moves (former ones are faster)

• Identify the core devs / key persons and subscribe their blogs

• Read research papers, recommended from top level conferences. Their background analysis & related works are good.

• Good vertical news media, community driven new feeds, major techical news websites

• Some Weichat public subscriptions (usually personal account) and Weichat groups are of high value

• Social medias and their hotness burst are also a source to find new moves

• Stay with good people, stay in the circle accounts a lot

• Others: recruiting JD reveals concret trends, e.g. interns requirements by research lab.

Use strategic thinking to watch market moves and find technology updates

• Watch big players’ / competitors’ moves, their new investiments and portfolio changes

• Watch upstream community moves and code commits

• Watch foundation investments and what groups/projects are newly established

• Watch major product releases and their featurings.

• Related patents (if allowed to read) usually reflex true technical compentency other than sales pitch

• Watch financial investiments, new startups, fundings, etc to find market-acceptable technology updates

Raise Industry Influence

It’s the contribution you made, the exposusre & visibility, the connects with people, and the reputation.