Mentorship isn’t something I do off to the side of my “real” job. It is part of the job.
I’ve had the privilege of mentoring a lot of junior engineers and managers over the years, and I’m convinced that doing it well makes teams stronger, products better, and careers more fulfilling, for both sides.
The First Conversation Matters
When a new engineer joins the team, especially someone early in their career, I set up a 1:1 just to talk, not about tickets, but about goals. I ask questions like:
- What do you want to get better at this quarter?
- What type of feedback is helpful for you?
- What kind of support do you wish you had?
That conversation sets the tone. It signals: “You matter. I’m here to help.”
Creating Room to Grow
Mentorship for me isn’t about hovering. It’s about building safe structures.
I’ll often pair new engineers with a peer buddy. I also work with them to set realistic stretch goals, maybe it’s owning a small service, running their first retrospective, or shipping a feature end to end.
I make sure they know it’s okay to ask questions. I normalize “I don’t know.” And I’m vocal about my own mistakes, because mentorship thrives in environments without ego.
Why It’s Worth It
Yes, mentorship takes time. But the ROI is undeniable.
I’ve seen junior engineers turn into team leads. I’ve watched confidence grow from weekly code review nudges. I’ve seen people light up when they realize they’ve figured something out on their own.
And selfishly? I grow from it, too. Mentoring forces me to explain decisions clearly, rethink assumptions, and practice empathy every day.
The Ripple Effect
One of my proudest moments was seeing a former mentee start mentoring someone else. That’s how you know the culture is working.
Good mentorship scales. And it’s how we build teams that last.
So when people ask how I make time for it, I don’t have a fancy productivity hack. I just don’t see it as optional.