From Culture to Code: Leading Software Engineering Teams Effectively

by Jonathan Sosa

Overview

This book is a comprehensive guide written for software engineering professionals who are, or aspire to be, in leadership positions. It begins with essential soft skills, teaching you how to build an influential presence, make confident decisions, guide teams through challenges, and inspire excellence by setting high standards.

It continues with sections on acquiring talent, managing, and supporting your team. Learn to write job descriptions that attract top talent, set up a smooth hiring pipeline, and seamlessly onboard new hires. Discover how to structure teams to minimize cognitive load and foster collaboration. Gain actionable insights into goal-setting, including defining OKRs, tracking progress, setting clear expectations, and conducting meaningful evaluations to recognize top performers and support growth.

In the final section, the book delves into the technical aspects of leadership. Explore how to choose the right tech stack, establish coding standards, and manage technical debt effectively. Additional chapters offer guidance on evaluating Agile practices, setting clear communication prools, and balancing quality with delivery speed.

Also packed with technical actionable advice from two decades of real-world experience, this book equips you to lead with confidence and drive impactful results.

What You Will Learn

- How to transition from individual contributor to a leadership position

- How to develop your presence, influence, and make difficult decisions

- How to craft attractive job descriptions, identify, interview, and hire top talent

- How to set expectations, evaluate performance, and promote deserving employees

- How to deliver effective feedback

- What best practices to introduce to your teams

- How to deliver high-quality, impactful software projects

Who This Book is For

Senior Engineering Managers, Director of Engineering, VP of Engineering, and CTOs. And software engineering professionals who aspire to be in these positions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798868814273
Publisher:	Apress
Publication date:	05/22/2025
Series:	Apress Pocket Guides
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	127
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jonathan Sosa is a seasoned engineering leader with two decades of experience delivering software used by millions worldwide. He currently serves as the Head of Engineering at Foundation LLM Technologies, Inc., a pioneering Silicon Valley startup developing AI tools for design and manufacturing.

Previously, Jonathan served as VP of Engineering at Drivemode Inc., Honda’s software innovation arm, where he spearheaded the development of a groundbreaking In-Vehicle Infotainment and Companion Apps platform for Honda’s electric vehicles.

Before his tenure at Drivemode, Jonathan was a Director of Engineering at Mercari, Inc., Japan’s first unicorn. There, he led the team behind Mercari’s mobile and web applications tailored for the US market.

Jonathan also held the position of Group Manager at Rakuten, where he led the Digital Content Platform Development Group. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in shaping the success of multiple Japanese tech startups.

A Computer Science honors graduate from the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Jonathan speaks five languages, holds a US patent, and is certified as an Agile Product Owner and Scrum Master.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Build Your Presence.- Chapter 2: Champion Your Team.- Chapter 3: Acquire Talent.- Chapter 4: Organize Your People.- Chapter 5: Set Goals.- Chapter 6: Set Expectations.- Chapter 7: Evaluate & Promote.- Chapter 8: Choose the Tech Stack.- Chapter 9: Adopt Best Practices.- Chapter 10: Build a strong software foundation.- Chapter 11: Manage technical debt.- Chapter 12: Closing words.