I'm Sanjay, Senior Director at a Series B Startup. AMA!

We introduced a basic leveling system about a year into the company. We didn't spend much time on it, but just wanted to have something concrete to prevent misalignment later down the road. A few of the engineering leaders decided how existing employees mapped to the available levels.

That leveling guide, while not perfect, has lasted for a few years and we are now in the process of publishing an improved one.

• Can you share a bit about when and why you transitioned into management? Was that always your goal?

I transitioned to management after a couple years as a Senior SWE. It wasn't always my goal. In my case it happened organically. I joined the startup as an early engineer. As we gained traction and started hiring, there was a natural need for more managers and I had a lot of business and technical context on what we needed to accomplish.

In your opinion, when is it appropriate to transition into management, especially if one's goals and strengths align with this career path? For instance, is there a significant difference in transitioning from a Sr Eng to EM as opposed to moving from aStaff to EM?

It will be an easier transition from the Staff level because you will have stronger technical skills and more experience leading large projects. But, both avenues are appropriate and common. The most important skills is being willing to learn quickly.

This is critical and there are many common tools for this. Here are some examples:

• OKRs are a mechanism for the company to publish priorities and goals, and for each team to understand how they contribute to the company's goals. Leaders should be reviewing OKRs of their teams to make sure they align with the company direction
• Repetition. There should be regular company-wide and department-wide all hands where the priorities and progress are reiterated. Ideally some of these focus on the broader vision, so that the team can understand that they are currently working on just one milestone of a much broader product or ecosystem that the company wants to build over time
• Positive recognition / rewards for people or teams who further the company's mission. A common example is having a set of company values that are tied to the founding mission, and periodically giving out awards to the employees who best demonstrate those values.

Startup employees should look for significant equity so they can share the upside if the company is successful. However, startup equity is risky and the expected value is higher at big tech companies where the equity is liquid as soon as it vests.

Leaving a startup as an early employee is a tricky situation. Your startup may be doing well, but it may also be several years away from a liquidity event and early employees must often pay thousands of dollars to exercise their options. The mechanics of AMT tax make this even more complicated because you may be paying tax on gains that are never realized. If your company is doing well, this is a case-by-case decision. Some companies offer a longer exercise window or offer early employees some liquidity via secondary sales. These are valuable avenues for an early employee and should be considered as part of the overall job offer package.