Beyond The Build

Send us a textAsk us a question or suggest an Episode: https://forms.gle/8tEg2CKTNNWteSgt9Should you stay or should you leave?In this episode of Beyond the Build, we tackle one of the hardest questions in your career: when should you actually leave your team or company? Most engineers don't think about this until they're already frustrated, burnt out, or realizing they've been building skills that won't transfer anywhere else. By then, it's often too late.We break down the red flags to watch for across three categories: personal misalignment, team-level dysfunction, and organizational warning signs. We get real about the dangers of over-specialization and why spending years mastering one niche problem can actually make you unemployable. Your experience is the only thing people use to judge your future potential, so if you're not intentional about what you're building, you could end up as a fish out of water.We also talk about how to evaluate whether your team's work actually matters, the balancing act between depth and breadth, and why building your personal brand outside your nine-to-five is non-negotiable. Whether you're contemplating a team switch or jumping ship entirely, this episode gives you the framework to make strategic decisions that set up your future, not just your present.If you've ever wondered whether you're in the right place or worried that you're wasting time on work that won't matter down the line, this is the conversation you need to hear.Connect with Ope - https://www.linkedin.com/in/osunkoyaope/Connect with Uma: Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/umacodes) Tiktok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@umacodes) Twitter: (https://twitter.com/umacodes) LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/umaabu/)Follow us on Social Media Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebuildpodcast) TikTok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondthebuildpodcast)

Send us a textAsk us a question or suggest an Episode: https://forms.gle/8tEg2CKTNNWteSgt9Most engineers spend years perfecting their coding skills but completely ignore the one skill that actually determines who gets promoted, who gets their ideas shipped, and who leads projects: **writing**.In this episode, we break down why documentation isn't just "nice to have" - it's the difference between being a code monkey and being an engineering leader.We cover why meetings are the WORST place to get alignment and what to do instead, the "mind virus" technique for spreading your ideas when you're not in the room, why people ask "stupid questions" in meetings (hint: it's your fault), how Netflix and other top companies use "living documents" to scale decisions, the truth about AI-assisted writing and why it won't save you.Connect with Ope - https://www.linkedin.com/in/osunkoyaope/Connect with Uma: Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/umacodes) Tiktok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@umacodes) Twitter: (https://twitter.com/umacodes) LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/umaabu/)Follow us on Social Media Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebuildpodcast) TikTok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondthebuildpodcast)

Send us a textAsk us a question or suggest an Episode: https://forms.gle/8tEg2CKTNNWteSgt9Think your manager is just there to assign you tasks? Think again.In this episode of Beyond the Build, we dig into one of the most overlooked parts of being a software engineer: what you should actually expect from your manager. A lot of engineers think management is just about task updates, but your manager plays a huge role in your growth, visibility, and long-term success.We break down the expectations at every level, from junior to senior to staff, and talk through how your manager should be supporting you with opportunities, feedback, sponsorship, and clarity. We also get into the politics behind the scenes, how to avoid surprises during performance season, and how to structure your 1:1s so they’re strategic, not just status meetings.If you’ve ever felt lost about what your manager is supposed to do, or if you want to learn how to work with them to accelerate your career, this episode gives you the full blueprint. Tune in to hear the conversations most engineers never get to have.Follow us on Social Media Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebuildpodcast) TikTok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondthebuildpodcast)Connect with Ope - https://www.linkedin.com/in/osunkoyaope/Connect with Uma: Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/umacodes) Tiktok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@umacodes) Twitter: (https://twitter.com/umacodes) LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/umaabu/)

Send us a textAsk us a question or suggest an Episode: https://forms.gle/8tEg2CKTNNWteSgt9Everyone says you should “find joy” or “do what you love” but is that realistic advice, or just another modern work myth? In this episode of Beyond the Build, We unpack the tension between fulfillment and functionality at work. Should you expect your job to make you happy, or is that setting yourself up for burnout and disappointment?If you’ve ever wondered whether you should love your job, tolerate it, or separate it from your happiness entirely, this episode will give you a reality check and a roadmap.

Send us a textAsk us a question or suggest an Episode: https://forms.gle/8tEg2CKTNNWteSgt9In this episode, we unpack the realities of working from home versus working in the office. We share what’s lost when you’re remote, like casual hallway conversations and easy collaboration and how that affects connection and visibility at work.We also explore the upsides of remote life: fewer distractions, no commute, and more control over your time. At the same time, we dive into challenges like blurred work-life boundaries, reduced visibility, and the need to make your work legible in distributed teams.From managing context switching to using writing as a communication tool, we talk about how engineers can stay productive and connected wherever they work and why, in the end, hybrid might be the best of both worlds.