Engineers want career progression, and when they don't get it they leave, or worse, they stay, stay unhappy, and stagnate.

Companies that truly invest in employee development see a massive uptick in retention and productivity. Yet most development frameworks are simple, and treat all engineers the same, regardless of career stage.

This talk introduces a practical model: foundations, walls, and towers, that gives managers and coaches a clear way to support engineers differently at each stage: from building solid fundamentals, through broadening skills, to deep mastery and beyond.

Grounded in real stories and backed by retention research, you'll leave with tools you can use in your next one-to-ones.

Delivered at Agile Cambridge and Agile on the Beach