Analytics8 Career Growth & Development

Give us a snapshot of what you do to stay on top of your engineering knowledge and skills. 

I stay current in engineering through my consulting role, where real-world challenges expose me to new ideas and technical skills daily. Client work offers hands-on learning — no hype, no perfect scenarios and no prepackaged solutions. Often, the problems we tackle have no blueprint, requiring creative problem-solving. Applying these principles firsthand and seeing different approaches in action has refined my ability to adapt across tools and technologies.

Beyond client work, I push myself by building independent projects. A former colleague jokingly called this my personal “Skunk Works.” Testing new tools in low-stakes projects helps me decide if they’re ready for production. These side projects let me explore personal interests and define ‘done’ on my own terms. Completion isn’t the goal — real-world application is.

When I was a junior consultant, just getting an existing project running was a win. Now, I stay open to failure — if a project doesn’t spark joy, I move on. Forcing every project to completion leads to burnout. Longevity in tech comes from learning to love the work. You don’t need to track every trend, but you should build or learn a few times a year.

What are your go-to resources for keeping your engineering skills sharp? 

Outside of hands-on work, I stay sharp by consuming industry content. I skip books focused on the latest tech trends and start with foundational books. Having a strong foundation helps you adapt quickly to new technologies and future-proof your career as AI evolves. I pick the dustiest multi-edition book with a million used options on Amazon. In tech if a book has lasted a decade or more, it’s worth a read.

I also subscribe to every free Substack, sub-Reddit and industry newsletter I can find. They’re full of noise, but over time, you absorb jargon, design patterns and inspirations for side projects. I follow the tech blogs for tools I use to stay up to date on new features and case studies. Hacker News is another go-to; it aggregates insights beyond my industry.

Everything should be taken with a grain of salt, but even the 100th, “how do I improve as a first-year engineer?” post reveals what junior team members may be thinking but not saying. The best part? It justifies high screen time, even after my New Year’s resolution to quit social media.

What does the learning culture look like at your company or on your engineering team? 

I work at a company with a strong learning culture. Some see Slack as a distraction, but our discussions are thoughtful and searchable. It also automates tech blog posts and connects us to external Slack groups (dbt Slack, Locally Optimistic and more). Most importantly, it allows our CTO to chime in when an off-the-cuff idea needs a reality check.

At Analytics8, everyone has access to a company Udemy subscription — ideal for learning new skills or earning certifications. As a consulting firm, we develop best practices, share accelerators and set standards that help us deliver value quickly and consistently. Consulting also exposes us to diverse perspectives, sharpening problem-solving. We cut through hype — you should never aim to be someone else’s beta tester.

Our success comes from a strong learning culture and the collective wisdom in the room. Maintaining it isn’t about individual effort alone — it requires small contributions from many. Keeping my skills sharp strengthens our institutional knowledge, but I don’t need to know everything all the time. Often, the best way to stay sharp is recognizing when to step away.