- Staff engineer archetypes (team lead, architect, solver, right hand) are descriptive of existing roles, not prescriptive goals to aim for.
- Attempting to directly target an archetype often fails due to lack of trust, top-down project assignments, and poor decision-making.
- The core attribute of a staff engineer is being useful to the company and delivering value regardless of circumstances.
- The staff engineer role is inherently unfair, holding engineers responsible for outcomes they don't fully control.
- Success comes from building trust over time, focusing on manager's priorities, and asking 'is this useful to the company?'
- Archetypes emerge naturally once deep trust with leadership is established; engineers should fill whatever archetype the company needs.