Becoming the Engineer Every CTO Fights For
If you want to become the kind of engineer every company fights to keep, you need to master one skill above all others: the ability to rapidly become productive and contribute to complex codebases with complex tooling.
That’s three things. Productive. Contribute to complex code. Be familiar with complex tooling.
This is a composite skill - composite skills are career gold. It’s also what AI suck at.
And these days, it’s why companies (even non-tech companies) hire people.
For techies, this is how senior roles open up to you, EMs take notice, CTOs fight for your time, and why you can step into almost any project without drowning.
If you can debug quickly, extend existing systems confidently, and add value fast, you'll never be short on opportunities.
This ability doesn’t just show technical chops—it shows a commercial mindset and the analytical power that top-level tech leaders, like CTOs, are always looking for.
And let’s be super clear. It’s not about writing lines of code. It’s about engineering with software.
Unfortunately, most engineers don’t focus on this. They get caught up chasing shiny frameworks, building side projects in isolation, and thinking "learning to code" ends when they know a few languages.
The Gap Between Writing Code and Business Impact
Many engineers believe their job is simply to write code, but a great CTO sees the bigger picture. They need engineers who understand that code is a tool for solving business problems.
An engineer who can quickly navigate an unfamiliar codebase isn't just a good programmer; they're a problem solver who can accelerate a project timeline, reduce onboarding friction, and directly impact the bottom line.
Heck, some of the engineers I worked with at Google reviewed my Golang code even though they were C++ programmers and didn't know Go. But their code reviews were excellent.
Why?
Because they were engineers, not just coders.
Can a great book be written in any language?
Yes. It’s about the authorship. Not the damn language!
So here’s what most engineers who get stuck do: (note: doing the opposite is what sets apart the good from the truly great engineers that I’ve seen):
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They never practice reading code. Writing your code is one thing, but reading and understanding someone else's is the ultimate test of an engineer's analytical power. It shows you can reverse-engineer logic and grasp complex systems without needing a manual.
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They treat tooling as an afterthought. A great engineer knows their tools are an extension of their mind. When a CTO sees you master a complex environment quickly, they see an employee who won't be slowed down by technical friction—someone who can adapt and perform under pressure.
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They don’t know how to investigate existing solutions. While many engineers take pride in building everything themselves, a truly great engineer knows when not to reinvent the wheel. They study open-source projects and industry-standard libraries, recognizing that using battle-tested code is often faster, more reliable, and ultimately a smarter business decision. This shows a CTO that you prioritize efficiency and quality over ego.
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They avoid complex projects because they’re intimidating. The biggest learning happens in the chaos of a messy, real-world project. By shying away from large projects, engineers miss the chance to build a crucial skill: a commercial sense that understands how different parts of a complex system interact to support a business goal.
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They don’t build the skill of finding and fixing bugs in someone else’s code. This isn’t just about debugging; it’s a critical form of communication. When you fix someone else's bug, you're not just solving a technical problem—you're having a silent conversation with the original author and leaving the system in a better state for the next person. A CTO values this deep empathy and clarity.
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They mistake knowing a dozen languages for true mastery. A CTO doesn't need a language expert; they need a pattern recognition wiz. The best engineers understand that by studying engineering output and paradigms rather than just languages, you train your brain to spot the underlying patterns that connect them all. This ability to "cross-pollinate" ideas and approaches from one project to another is invaluable, allowing you to rapidly adopt new technologies and apply the best solutions regardless of the specific syntax.
How to Train This Invaluable Skill
You can train this skill deliberately. It’s not easy, but mastery never is.
The good news? You don't have to wait for your next (or first) dev job to practice.
Here's a simple, effective three-step method:
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Explore Before You Edit: Spend 120 minutes exploring an open-source project—no changes, no quick wins—just reading. This forces you to map the terrain before trying to "fix" anything, the same way a senior engineer would. I once onboarded to a massive codebase at Google faster than I’d onboarded on my previous dev role because I did exactly this: I learned the lay of the land first. This practice directly hones your analytical power, allowing you to see the big picture before diving into the details.
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Solve a Small Real Problem: Pick a GitHub issue or a flaky test. Or write a test that should exist but does not (ask any senior dev on the team). Implement it. It might take hours, it might take days, or even a couple of weeks (yes!). The point is learning to diagnose, navigate, and fix something real. Too many engineers quit here because it feels slow, when in reality, this is where you build the muscle to be productive fast in any environment. This is a direct test of your communication skills—you learn to understand the implicit needs of the project and contribute meaningfully.
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Reflect and Refine: After you ship your fix, compare your experience with expert advice. Read three of my free newsletters (linked in my profile) and see if the patterns match. That’s how you connect practice to principle—closing the gap between "I tried it" and "I can do it reliably."
Do this a few times, and you’ll have a skill worth more than any framework fad—one that makes you an essential part of any engineering team. You'll become the kind of engineer that doesn't just write code, but solves problems, understands the business, and becomes irreplaceable.
Five ways we can help you:
1. Wondering what learning to code actually means?
Becoming a coder is much more than just "learning to code" some languages. When I was hired at Google, for example, I didn't know three out of the four languages I had to write every day.
If you're still wondering if coding is right for you, then I recommend:
👉 My FreeCodeCamp Course --> Before You Learn To Code (Video).
👉 Updated version (including Google and other big tech experiences)
2. Inner Circle (Free Preview Included)
Our personalized, intensive mentorship program is designed to help career changers go from zero to software developer—and get hired. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re ready to commit, we’ll walk with you every step.
👉Preview the Inner Circle Program -> free preview.
👉Apply for Inner Circle → parsity.io/inner-circle
3. Dev30
Want to learn the basics, but not quite ready for the Parsity Inner Circle? No problems - Try the Dev30 challenge!
It’s our 30-day JavaScript sprint focused on building real projects, learning in public, and creating a network in tech.
👉Join dev30 → dev30.xyz
4. Career Change To Code Podcast
Driving? At the gym? Hiding in the bathroom? Perfect time to inject the best techniques for a career change to code directly into your brain via
👉 Follow the podcast here: YouTube | Spotify
5. Weekly Tips In Your Inbox
👉 Subscribe to this newsletter (it’s free). I try and keep it to 3 minutes or less so you can read in the elevator, waiting in lines, in the bathroom...😝
