korrents

korrents · piece

Advice for New Principal Tech ICs (i.e., Notes to Myself)

Eugene Yan · 19 Oct 2025 · eugeneyan.com ↗

3 korrents from this piece

Eugene Yan did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

  1. Our reading

    Convincing others to care and act matters more than simply being right.

    Their wordsBeing right is less than half the battle. You also have to convince others that you're right, and more importantly, convince them to care enough to act on it.

  2. Our reading

    Reaching a senior level requires putting oneself on the critical path, but excelling beyond it requires removing oneself from it.

    Their wordsTo get to principal, you need to put yourself on the critical path. To be effective as a principal and go beyond it, you need to actively remove yourself from it.

  3. Our reading

    Greater autonomy over one's work comes with greater accountability for its outcomes.

    Their wordsWith great freedom comes great responsibility. You have the autonomy to choose what to work on, but there's the expectation of accountability and impact.