You're behind the scenes
Your team got the recognition. You got more work. Sound familiar?
For engineering managers who've outgrown their title
You've built teams. Now it's time to build your next chapter.
Move from managing to leading — with the role and comp to match.
- Frame team outcomes as your outcomes
- Show org-level impact, not just team management
- Prep for leadership interviews with confidence
Get My Leadership Story
For Engineering Managers, Directors, and leadership-track ICs.
Only 2 EM-to-Director coaching spots this quarter
21 days
Average time to first interview
$47K
Average salary increase negotiated
89%
Land offers within 60 days
Steve J. Ngoumnai
Founder, Head Career Coach
The problem
Great managers are often invisible. Their teams shine instead.
That's noble. It's also a career problem.
Leadership interviews are different
It's not about what you built. It's about how you think. That requires a different prep.
Are you 'really' technical anymore?
You haven't coded in a while. You wonder if that matters. (It doesn't. Not how you think.)
Sound familiar?
The engineering manager's job search reality
These are the conversations we have every day with EMs just like you.
"My team gets the credit"
Your engineers shipped the feature, got the bonuses, got promoted. You created the environment that made it happen. But when you interview, it feels weird to claim their wins as yours.
"I haven't coded in years"
You worry you're losing your technical edge. In interviews, you dread the 'are you still technical?' question. You're not sure how to prove technical credibility without coding.
"My resume sounds like a job description"
'Led team of 8 engineers.' 'Managed sprint planning.' 'Conducted 1:1s.' It's all true. And it sounds exactly like every other EM's resume.
"Leadership interviews feel different"
It's not about system design or algorithms. It's scenario questions and strategy discussions. You're not sure how to prepare for that, and winging it hasn't worked.
"I'm stuck at the EM level"
You've been an EM for years. Director feels close but out of reach. You're not sure what separates a Director from a good EM, or how to demonstrate you're ready for more scope.
"Should I even stay in management?"
Sometimes you wonder if you should go back to IC. You loved building. You're not sure management is your path. You need clarity on what you actually want.
If any of this sounds like you — you're not alone. This is exactly what we help engineering managers figure out, every single day.
Success Stories
People who made the leap
from 147+ professionals
Raymond B.
Senior Software Engineer · Google
"I'd been stuck at L5 for three years. After six weeks with Askia, I had three onsites and closed at L6 with a $350K package. The system design prep alone was worth it—I walked in..."
Sasha L.
Product Engineer · Meta
"Before Askia, I was getting ghosted after every phone screen. We rewrote my resume to lead with impact, and within two weeks I had five recruiter calls scheduled. The difference..."
Neil R.
Software Engineer · Amazon
"I was ready to accept their first offer—I had no idea how to negotiate without seeming greedy. We mapped out my leverage, practiced the exact script, and I ended up $45K higher..."
Alina K.
Senior Product Manager · Microsoft
"My background was all over the place—B2B, B2C, different industries. Askia helped me find the throughline that made it all make sense. Three interviewers said I was the most..."
Jordan T.
Data Scientist · Netflix
"I had five years of scattered projects and no clear story. After one session, we turned it into a narrative about driving decisions with data. The feedback in interviews went from..."
Priya S.
Product Designer · Apple
"The portfolio review was honest—almost too honest. But we cut three projects and rebuilt my walkthrough from scratch. When I presented it, the hiring manager said it was the..."
Miguel A.
Staff Engineer · Stripe
"I was applying to 40+ jobs a week with maybe one callback. We stopped the spray-and-pray approach, built an outreach system, and within a month I had warm intros to three of my..."
Tara J.
Growth PM · Airbnb
"My response rate went from 8% to 22% after repositioning my LinkedIn headline and summary. Same experience, totally different framing. Recruiters started reaching out for roles I..."
Kevin D.
Frontend Engineer · Shopify
"Four months of silence on LinkedIn. Then we overhauled my profile and resume together—within a week I had my first inbound message from a recruiter at a company I'd been eyeing...."
Rina M.
Solutions Architect · Salesforce
"I kept getting rejected for leadership roles because I sounded too technical. Askia helped me reframe everything around strategic impact. The hiring manager later told me my..."
Evan P.
Design Manager · Adobe
"I'd ramble for five minutes on every behavioral question. After three mock sessions, I had tight two-minute stories with clear structure. The interviewers started nodding along..."
Camila V.
Product Analyst · Uber
"I was offered a lateral move initially. After we built my case for promotion—concrete metrics, leadership examples, market data—I countered and got the senior title with a $38K..."
Omar H.
Platform Engineer · Spotify
"Cold outreach was getting me nowhere—maybe one reply for every 50 messages. Askia gave me a template that actually worked. Three weeks later, I had coffee chats with engineers at..."
Lena Q.
Product Designer · Figma
"I'd failed three final rounds in a row and was starting to think something was fundamentally wrong with me. After six mock interviews with Askia, I understood exactly where I was..."
Miles S.
Backend Engineer · Notion
"I was burning out applying to everything. Askia helped me build a system—targeted companies, warm outreach, weekly check-ins. It felt sustainable for the first time. Landed an..."
Isabelle C.
Engineering Manager · Atlassian
"Transitioning from IC to manager felt impossible—I kept getting passed over. Askia helped me articulate my leadership impact in a way that made sense to hiring committees. Within..."
Noah G.
Developer Advocate · GitHub
"My answers were all over the place—five minutes on something that needed thirty seconds. Askia gave me a framework: setup, action, result, reflection. Now every story has punch...."
Hannah W.
Customer Success Lead · Slack
"I was interviewing at six companies simultaneously and losing track of everything. Askia helped me prioritize, prep smarter, and close the one I actually wanted. Turned three..."
Diego R.
Security Engineer · Zoom
"I'd never negotiated before and was terrified of losing the offer. We role-played the conversation three times until I felt bulletproof. Asked for $35K more than they offered. They..."
Maya N.
Technical Program Manager · Oracle
"The resume rewrite made me realize I'd been underselling myself for years. We quantified everything—scope, team size, business impact. Recruiters started reaching out for roles I'd..."
Vikram P.
Machine Learning Engineer · NVIDIA
"I kept getting stuck explaining technical details instead of business outcomes. Askia taught me to lead with the 'so what'—revenue impact, time saved, decisions enabled. The shift..."
Lauren D.
Product Manager · LinkedIn
"I was getting callbacks but bombing final rounds. Turns out I was answering questions like an IC, not a PM. After three sessions focused on strategic framing, I went 3-for-3 on..."
Arjun S.
Backend Engineer · Snowflake
"System design interviews terrified me. Askia broke it down into a repeatable framework—requirements, estimation, architecture, trade-offs. Practiced it until it felt natural...."
Chloe H.
Data Analyst · Pinterest
"Everyone kept telling me I needed more experience to break into tech. Askia showed me how to position my non-tech background as an asset—different perspectives, fresh thinking. Got..."
Marcus J.
DevOps Engineer · Databricks
"My resume was a wall of tools and technologies. Askia helped me rewrite it around reliability outcomes—uptime improved, incidents reduced, deployments accelerated. Started getting..."
Sofia R.
Mobile Engineer · DoorDash
"I'd wing it in behavioral interviews and hope for the best. Askia made me build a story bank—eight polished examples I could adapt to any question. Now I walk in knowing exactly..."
Amir K.
Product Designer · Dropbox
"My portfolio was a random collection of projects. Askia helped me curate it around a clear theme—systems thinking and user advocacy. The hiring manager said it was the most..."
Grace T.
Analytics Lead · Intuit
"I was great at SQL but terrible at explaining why my analysis mattered. Askia taught me to frame everything as business decisions enabled. Now I lead with impact, and executives..."
Diego M.
FinTech Engineer · PayPal
"I had no idea what I was worth. Askia pulled comp data, helped me set a target, and coached me through the conversation. Ended up $40K above my initial expectation with better..."
Riya V.
Growth Engineer · Coinbase
"I was applying everywhere and getting nowhere. Askia made me pick 15 target companies, research them properly, and tailor my approach. Closed two offers from that list within six..."
Raymond B.
Senior Software Engineer · Google
"I'd been stuck at L5 for three years. After six weeks with Askia, I had three onsites and closed at L6 with a $350K package. The system design prep alone was worth it—I walked in..."
Sasha L.
Product Engineer · Meta
"Before Askia, I was getting ghosted after every phone screen. We rewrote my resume to lead with impact, and within two weeks I had five recruiter calls scheduled. The difference..."
Neil R.
Software Engineer · Amazon
"I was ready to accept their first offer—I had no idea how to negotiate without seeming greedy. We mapped out my leverage, practiced the exact script, and I ended up $45K higher..."
Alina K.
Senior Product Manager · Microsoft
"My background was all over the place—B2B, B2C, different industries. Askia helped me find the throughline that made it all make sense. Three interviewers said I was the most..."
Jordan T.
Data Scientist · Netflix
"I had five years of scattered projects and no clear story. After one session, we turned it into a narrative about driving decisions with data. The feedback in interviews went from..."
Priya S.
Product Designer · Apple
"The portfolio review was honest—almost too honest. But we cut three projects and rebuilt my walkthrough from scratch. When I presented it, the hiring manager said it was the..."
Miguel A.
Staff Engineer · Stripe
"I was applying to 40+ jobs a week with maybe one callback. We stopped the spray-and-pray approach, built an outreach system, and within a month I had warm intros to three of my..."
Tara J.
Growth PM · Airbnb
"My response rate went from 8% to 22% after repositioning my LinkedIn headline and summary. Same experience, totally different framing. Recruiters started reaching out for roles I..."
Kevin D.
Frontend Engineer · Shopify
"Four months of silence on LinkedIn. Then we overhauled my profile and resume together—within a week I had my first inbound message from a recruiter at a company I'd been eyeing...."
Rina M.
Solutions Architect · Salesforce
"I kept getting rejected for leadership roles because I sounded too technical. Askia helped me reframe everything around strategic impact. The hiring manager later told me my..."
Evan P.
Design Manager · Adobe
"I'd ramble for five minutes on every behavioral question. After three mock sessions, I had tight two-minute stories with clear structure. The interviewers started nodding along..."
Camila V.
Product Analyst · Uber
"I was offered a lateral move initially. After we built my case for promotion—concrete metrics, leadership examples, market data—I countered and got the senior title with a $38K..."
Omar H.
Platform Engineer · Spotify
"Cold outreach was getting me nowhere—maybe one reply for every 50 messages. Askia gave me a template that actually worked. Three weeks later, I had coffee chats with engineers at..."
Lena Q.
Product Designer · Figma
"I'd failed three final rounds in a row and was starting to think something was fundamentally wrong with me. After six mock interviews with Askia, I understood exactly where I was..."
Miles S.
Backend Engineer · Notion
"I was burning out applying to everything. Askia helped me build a system—targeted companies, warm outreach, weekly check-ins. It felt sustainable for the first time. Landed an..."
Isabelle C.
Engineering Manager · Atlassian
"Transitioning from IC to manager felt impossible—I kept getting passed over. Askia helped me articulate my leadership impact in a way that made sense to hiring committees. Within..."
Noah G.
Developer Advocate · GitHub
"My answers were all over the place—five minutes on something that needed thirty seconds. Askia gave me a framework: setup, action, result, reflection. Now every story has punch...."
Hannah W.
Customer Success Lead · Slack
"I was interviewing at six companies simultaneously and losing track of everything. Askia helped me prioritize, prep smarter, and close the one I actually wanted. Turned three..."
Diego R.
Security Engineer · Zoom
"I'd never negotiated before and was terrified of losing the offer. We role-played the conversation three times until I felt bulletproof. Asked for $35K more than they offered. They..."
Maya N.
Technical Program Manager · Oracle
"The resume rewrite made me realize I'd been underselling myself for years. We quantified everything—scope, team size, business impact. Recruiters started reaching out for roles I'd..."
Vikram P.
Machine Learning Engineer · NVIDIA
"I kept getting stuck explaining technical details instead of business outcomes. Askia taught me to lead with the 'so what'—revenue impact, time saved, decisions enabled. The shift..."
Lauren D.
Product Manager · LinkedIn
"I was getting callbacks but bombing final rounds. Turns out I was answering questions like an IC, not a PM. After three sessions focused on strategic framing, I went 3-for-3 on..."
Arjun S.
Backend Engineer · Snowflake
"System design interviews terrified me. Askia broke it down into a repeatable framework—requirements, estimation, architecture, trade-offs. Practiced it until it felt natural...."
Chloe H.
Data Analyst · Pinterest
"Everyone kept telling me I needed more experience to break into tech. Askia showed me how to position my non-tech background as an asset—different perspectives, fresh thinking. Got..."
Marcus J.
DevOps Engineer · Databricks
"My resume was a wall of tools and technologies. Askia helped me rewrite it around reliability outcomes—uptime improved, incidents reduced, deployments accelerated. Started getting..."
Sofia R.
Mobile Engineer · DoorDash
"I'd wing it in behavioral interviews and hope for the best. Askia made me build a story bank—eight polished examples I could adapt to any question. Now I walk in knowing exactly..."
Amir K.
Product Designer · Dropbox
"My portfolio was a random collection of projects. Askia helped me curate it around a clear theme—systems thinking and user advocacy. The hiring manager said it was the most..."
Grace T.
Analytics Lead · Intuit
"I was great at SQL but terrible at explaining why my analysis mattered. Askia taught me to frame everything as business decisions enabled. Now I lead with impact, and executives..."
Diego M.
FinTech Engineer · PayPal
"I had no idea what I was worth. Askia pulled comp data, helped me set a target, and coached me through the conversation. Ended up $40K above my initial expectation with better..."
Riya V.
Growth Engineer · Coinbase
"I was applying everywhere and getting nowhere. Askia made me pick 15 target companies, research them properly, and tailor my approach. Closed two offers from that list within six..."
Ready to accelerate your career?
Book a free strategy call and leave with a clear action plan.
How It Works
How we get you there
1
Own your outcomes
We help you articulate team and org impact as your leadership outcomes.
2
Build your executive story
Resume, LinkedIn, and pitch rebuilt for leadership roles.
3
Nail leadership interviews
Strategy, people scenarios, and executive presence practice.
Deliverables
What you actually get
Leadership-ready assets.
Outcome Framing
Turn team wins into leadership wins.
Executive Story
Resume and LinkedIn that show leadership scope.
Leadership Prep
Interview prep for leadership loops.
Your Coach
Steve's been in your seat
I spent years as an engineering manager and director. I know the challenge of showing leadership impact when your hands aren't on the keyboard. Let's build a story that proves you scale teams, not just manage them.
35+ EMs coached to Director+
Director+ level-ups this year
$65K avg. comp increase
This is for you if
You've led teams and are ready for more scope.
- You're an EM eyeing Director or VP
- You're a Staff+ IC considering management
- Your resume sounds like a job description
- Leadership interviews feel different and you're not sure why
This probably isn't for you if
We work with experienced leaders.
- You haven't managed people yet
- You're looking for new manager training
- You want IC coaching (check our SWE page)
Questions EMs usually ask
Real talk.
How do I take credit for team work without being arrogant?
It's not arrogance — it's accurate attribution. You built the team. You created the conditions. You made decisions that enabled the outcomes. We help you frame your leadership as the multiplier it is, not as stealing credit.
Do you help with Director/VP roles?
Yes. The principles scale. Directors demonstrate org-level impact, influence across teams, and strategic thinking. We help you identify where you're already operating at that level and articulate it clearly.
I'm a Staff IC considering management. Can you help?
Yes. We help you articulate transferable leadership — the mentorship, the technical direction, the influence without authority. And we help you think through whether management is actually what you want.
What about technical credibility?
You don't need to code in interviews. You need to show technical judgment — architecture decisions, trade-off reasoning, technical strategy. We help you demonstrate you can lead technical work without doing all of it yourself.
How do I prepare for leadership scenario questions?
We build a library of your real stories — conflict resolution, difficult conversations, team building, navigating ambiguity. We practice framing them to show leadership thinking, not just outcomes.
What's the difference between EM and Director?
Directors own multiple teams or org-level initiatives. They influence strategy, not just execution. We help you identify where you're already doing Director-level work and frame it properly.
I'm not sure if I should stay in management or go back to IC. Can you help?
Yes. This is a common crossroads. We help you think through what you actually want, not just what's expected. Sometimes the answer is management. Sometimes it's Staff+ IC. Sometimes it's something else entirely.
Do you help with salary negotiation for leadership roles?
Yes. Leadership comp is often more negotiable than IC comp, but also more complex. We help you understand the full package — base, bonus, equity, scope — and negotiate confidently.
I've only managed one team. Am I ready for Director?
Team count isn't the only measure. Directors demonstrate cross-team influence, strategic thinking, and organizational impact. We help you identify whether you're ready and what gaps you might need to address.
How do I show executive presence in interviews?
Executive presence isn't about personality — it's about clarity of thought, confident communication, and strategic framing. We practice until your answers sound like a leader's, not like an IC's.
"Within 3 weeks I had 4 interviews lined up. Steve completely changed how I talk about my work."
★★★★★ — Marcus T., Senior Engineer → Staff at FAANGYou built the team that built the product. That's the story.
EMs who can articulate team outcomes as their outcomes get promoted. Let's get you there.
Join 147+ professionals who've accelerated their careers
Get My Leadership Story
Only 4 spots left this week
✓ Leave with a clear action plan or get a second session free
