The Impactful Engineer - Mentorship, Career Growth, and Personal & Professional Excellence for Aspiring Engineers

Steve & Jake Maxey - The Impactful Engineers
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Spreading awareness, success, and accessibility to the world of engineering to aspiring and early career engineers.

  1. 1d ago

    Episode 171 - The Fastest-Growing Engineers Don’t Wait Until They’re Certain

    Engineers are trained to analyze, validate, and reduce uncertainty. That becomes a problem when analysis turns into an excuse to delay action. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down two career-defining skills: urgency and agency. For early-career engineers, the order matters. You may not have enough experience yet to make every call confidently, but you can learn to reach a good-enough decision point quickly. Not theory, practical, tactical advice for engineers who want more responsibility, better projects, and faster career growth. KEY TOPICS COVERED: • Why urgency and agency are different skills • Why early-career engineers should build urgency first • How excessive analysis disguises procrastination • Why working hard does not automatically mean you are moving fast • How to recognize when you have enough information to proceed • Why confidence comes after repeated decision-making experience • How urgency accelerates learning early in your career • Why high-agency engineers earn greater responsibility • How managers evaluate new engineers beyond technical skill • Why speed and judgment eventually have to work together ACTIONABLE STEPS: • Define what "good enough to decide" means before starting analysis • Ask experienced engineers what information actually matters • Set a limit on how long you will investigate before making a recommendation • Separate missing critical information from information that would simply make you more comfortable • Make a recommendation instead of only presenting data • Take action once the decision threshold has been reached • Review your decisions afterward to sharpen future judgment • Use experienced teammates to shorten your learning curve • Notice when "I need more information" is really fear of being wrong • Build urgency now so agency has something to grow from later WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR: • New graduates entering engineering roles • Early-career engineers who overanalyze decisions • Engineers frustrated by slow career progression • ICs who want larger projects and greater responsibility • Engineers trying to build confidence without pretending they know everything WHY IT MATTERS: The engineers who grow fastest are not the ones who somehow eliminate uncertainty. They learn how much certainty is actually necessary. Urgency creates more decisions, more feedback, and more opportunities to learn. Over time, that experience becomes agency. If you want more trust, visibility, and responsibility, you have to learn to move before everything feels perfectly clear. WHERE TO LISTEN: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts SHARE: If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

  2. Aug 31

    Episode 170 - Every Excuse Is a Problem You Refused to Solve.

    It is easy to explain why you are stuck. A teammate is late. Your team lacks a skill. Someone assembled the product wrong. A competitor has a better network. You never had the internship. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down how engineers turn legitimate constraints into excuses, then show how to flip them into action. Not theory, practical, tactical advice for taking ownership when the obvious answer is to blame someone else. Key Topics Covered: • Why excuses feel good now but cost you later • How to separate a real constraint from surrendered ownership • What to do when your work depends on someone else delivering first • How to make progress without doing every task in sequence • Why poor assembly results may point back to design, training, or instructions • How leaders create systems that make mistakes harder to make • Turning skill gaps and resource limits into capacity-building plans • How to compete when someone else has a stronger network or built-in advantage • Why discipline can outperform natural talent over time • How to position nontraditional experience when your resume looks weaker on paper Actionable Steps: • Capture the excuse you are using instead of letting it pass unchallenged • Ask, “What part of this is still under my control?” • Check dependencies before the deadline, not after they fail • Ask what can be completed in parallel while you wait • Build instructions and systems that reduce reliance on perfect execution • Verify whether people actually have the skills you expect from them • Create capacity by systemizing work that does not require your direct involvement • Translate another person’s advantage into a behavior you can reproduce • Reframe missing experience around the value of what you did instead • Choose the harder action now when it creates the better outcome later Who This Episode Is For: • Engineers who keep getting blocked by other people • Early-career engineers worried they are already behind • Technical leaders frustrated by execution mistakes • Engineers comparing themselves to better-connected or more experienced peers • Anyone who knows their explanation is becoming an excuse Why It Matters: Your career does not move forward because your reasons are valid. It moves forward when you take responsibility for what happens next. The engineers who grow fastest learn to turn constraints into decisions, disadvantages into work, and frustration into action. That is how you build trust, visibility, performance, and leadership capacity. Where to Listen: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

  3. Aug 24

    Episode 169 - You Don’t Need to Agree. You Need to Execute.

    You will not agree with every decision your boss, client, or business makes. That does not mean every disagreement deserves a fight. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down why strong engineers know when to make the recommendation, accept the decision, and execute. Not theory, practical, tactical advice for protecting your energy, building trust, and becoming someone people want on high-impact work.  Key Topics Covered: Why technically correct does not always mean strategically rightHow to separate a recommendation from the final decisionWhy the customer’s desired outcome can matter more than your preferred optimizationWhen cost, capacity, margin, reputation, or peace of mind change the engineering tradeoffHow unnecessary resistance burns energy without changing the outcomeWhy constant complaining changes how coworkers and leaders perceive youHow being easy to work with can increase trust and opportunityThe difference between a real hill to die on and an ego-driven objectionWhy safety, ethics, and legality are valid reasons to stand your groundActionable Steps: State your recommendation clearly, then let the decision owner decideAsk whether your objection changes safety, ethics, legality, or the required outcomeStop treating your preferred solution as the only acceptable solutionUnderstand what the customer, leader, or business is actually optimizing forExecute the chosen direction without dragging resentment into the workStop retelling every frustrating decision to coworkersReclaim the energy you waste trying to prove a decision was wrongMake your leader’s life easier when the request is reasonable and responsibleBuild a reputation as someone who can disagree professionally and still deliverWho This Episode Is For: Engineers frustrated by decisions they would not personally makeEarly-career engineers learning how technical work fits business prioritiesHigh-performing ICs who want more trust, autonomy, and leadership opportunityEngineers burning energy fighting battles that do not affect the outcomeFuture leaders learning when to challenge and when to executeWhy It Matters: Your career is not built only on whether your technical recommendation was correct. People remember whether you brought clarity, judgment, energy, and execution. Fight the issues that truly matter. For everything else, make the recommendation, understand the decision, and get the job done.  Where to Listen: SpotifyApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsOr wherever you get your podcastsShare: If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

  4. Aug 17

    Episode 168 - You Can’t Hold People Accountable for Expectations You Never Set

    Accountability does not start when someone misses a deadline. It starts when the work begins. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down how strong engineers and leaders set clear expectations, document them, follow up before problems become emergencies, and address missed commitments without turning the conversation emotional. Not theory, practical, tactical advice for anyone responsible for getting results through other people.  Key Topics Covered: Why accountability is impossible without clear expectations up front.Why important expectations should be written, not left to memory.How to anchor deadlines instead of asking, “When can you get this done?”Why confirmation matters after assigning actions or changing expectations.How early check-ins give you time to recover before a deadline is missed.Why responsiveness should be an explicit expectation, especially on fast projects.How objective scorecards remove emotion from performance conversations.Why criticizing behavior works better than attacking the person.How excuses weaken your ability to hold the standard.When to develop a struggling vendor, contractor, or teammate and when to move on.Actionable Steps: Define the deliverable, deadline, and communication expectations before work starts.Put important expectations in writing and ask the other person to confirm alignment.Set required response times for questions, urgent issues, and critical-path decisions.Check progress before the deadline, not on the day something is due.Ask immediately whether new problems will affect the timeline.When an expectation is missed, document what happened without adding emotion or excuses.Ask what specifically must change to prevent the same miss from happening again.Look for opportunities to recover lost schedule elsewhere in the project.Track reliability, responsiveness, urgency, and execution over multiple projects.Decide whether someone is willing and capable of meeting your standards before investing more time.Who This Episode Is For: Engineers moving into leadership or project ownership.Managers frustrated by repeated missed commitments.Engineers coordinating suppliers, vendors, contractors, or cross-functional teams.High performers tired of rescuing projects at the last minute.Anyone who wants to build a reputation for reliability and execution.Why It Matters: Your reputation is built on whether people can trust you to deliver. But leadership also means creating the conditions for others to deliver. Clear expectations, early communication, objective accountability, and the willingness to hold the line give you more control over execution. If you consistently accept missed deadlines, vague communication, and excuses, you are teaching people what you will tolerate.  Where to Listen: SpotifyApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsOr wherever you get your podcastsShare: If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

  5. Aug 10

    Episode 167 - You Don’t Have to Like the Change. You Have to Lead Through It.

    Leadership changes. Your boss changes. The way your team operates changes. You can waste energy fighting it, or you can learn how to lead through it. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down how engineers should respond when new leadership arrives and how leaders should approach an established team without destroying what already works. Not theory: practical, tactical advice for navigating uncertainty, earning trust, communicating clearly, and keeping performance moving forward. Key Topics Covered: • Why judging a new leader before they have a chance to lead works against you • How leadership transitions create an opportunity to increase your value and visibility • Why “that’s how we’ve always done it” is one of the most dangerous mindsets on a team • How to support a new leader without blindly agreeing with everything • Why your new leader’s success directly affects your own success • How good leaders learn before trying to change everything • Why established team members can become critical sources of context during a transition • How leaders earn buy-in instead of forcing compliance • Why managers must translate between their teams and senior leadership • How communication prevents good judgment calls from destroying trust Actionable Steps: • Drop assumptions about a new leader and judge them by what they actually do • Learn how they communicate, make decisions, and define success • Ask where you can help stabilize performance during the transition • Bring forward broken processes instead of defending them out of habit • Stay open to methods that worked successfully somewhere else • Give leaders useful context about what has and has not worked before • If you lead the team, listen before changing systems and expectations • Identify respected technical leaders and involve them early • Explain why decisions change when you override or modify someone’s recommendation • Keep the team focused on the mission, not personal preference Who This Episode Is For: • Engineers getting a new manager or executive leader • ICs frustrated by changes to familiar processes • New managers inheriting established teams • Engineers who want more influence during uncertain transitions • Leaders responsible for maintaining performance while changing direction Why It Matters: Change exposes whether you are committed to progress or just comfortable with familiarity. The engineers who grow are not the ones who avoid uncertainty. They communicate, adapt, take ownership, and make themselves more valuable when the environment shifts. Leadership is not waiting until you agree with every decision. It is helping the team move forward when things are changing.  Where to Listen: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts Share: If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

  6. Aug 3

    Episode 166 - Your Work Is Invisible Because You Never Learned to Explain Its Value, with Vanessa Errecarte

    Strong technical work does not automatically make you visible, memorable, or promotable. In this episode, Steve and Jake sit down with Vanessa Errecarte, author of Valuable and Visible and an instructor in digital marketing, corporate branding, and personal branding at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management. Vanessa explains how engineers can communicate their value without bragging, build trust through service, and stand out without becoming an online personality. Not theory, practical, tactical advice for making your work easier to understand, remember, and recommend. Key Topics Covered: • Why excellent engineers still get overlooked • The difference between expertise, authority, visibility, and trust • Why personal branding should serve others instead of promoting yourself • How to communicate accomplishments without sounding arrogant • The Truth Framework for creating clear, counterintuitive messages • Why early-career engineers already have useful lessons to share • How stories make technical value more relatable and memorable • Why a focused audience beats meaningless reach and viral impressions • How personal branding improves meetings, interviews, and leadership conversations • How resumes and cover letters can break patterns without sacrificing credibility Actionable Steps: • Identify the specific person or group you want to help • Write down what that audience commonly believes • Define the real problem they may be missing • Explain what you do differently and why it works • Support your perspective with evidence, outcomes, or experience • End every lesson with one action someone can take immediately • Share one useful thought-leadership post each week • Turn project experiences into stories about human impact • Repeat your core message in different ways instead of constantly inventing new ideas • Build visibility before you need a promotion, interview, or opportunity Who This Episode Is For: • Engineers whose work is strong but rarely recognized • Early-career engineers who believe they have nothing worth sharing • Individual contributors trying to move into leadership • Engineers uncomfortable with networking, self-promotion, or personal branding • Technical professionals whose resumes and interviews sound like everyone else Why It Matters: Your career does not grow solely from the quality of your work. People must understand the value you create, associate you with meaningful outcomes, and trust you enough to recommend you. Visibility without value is noise. Value without visibility gets ignored. Learning to communicate both is part of becoming an impactful engineer. Where to Listen: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts Share: If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

  7. Jul 27

    Episode 165 - You Know the Answer, So Start Sounding Like It

    You can know your project, understand the data, and have the right answer, yet still make leadership doubt you. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down how passive language, hedging, weak tone, and overexplaining destroy credibility. They show you how to communicate decisions, problems, and recommendations with clarity and authority. Not theory. Practical, tactical advice you can use in your next meeting, email, or executive update. Key Topics Covered: • Why technically strong engineers plateau because they communicate without confidence • How phrases like “I think,” “maybe,” and “this might be dumb” weaken your authority • Why answering with a questioning tone makes leaders doubt your command of the work • How excessive context buries the decision and exhausts the listener • Why executives need the conclusion before the supporting explanation • How concise communication improves trust, visibility, and decision-making • When detailed context is valuable and when it becomes a distraction • Why collective intelligence matters more than being the person who knows everything • How strong communicators advance faster than isolated technical experts • Why listening closely to the question changes the quality of your response Actionable Steps: • Remove unnecessary hedging from your next project update • State the decision, result, or problem in the first sentence • Follow your conclusion with no more than two or three supporting bullets • Put detailed background in an attachment or below a clear summary • Separate what happened from why it happened • Answer the exact question before adding context • Pause after giving the direct answer instead of filling the silence • Practice replacing passive phrases with clear, factual statements • Use AI to rewrite your updates in a more assertive executive style, then study the wording • Review important emails from the recipient’s perspective before sending them Who This Episode Is For: • Engineers who know their work but struggle to sound confident • Individual contributors who feel overlooked despite strong execution • Technical experts whose careers have started to plateau • New leaders who need to communicate decisions with authority • Engineers who overexplain because they want everyone to understand their reasoning Why It Matters: Your work cannot create career momentum if people do not trust your delivery. Visibility is not enough. Leadership must hear clarity, ownership, and command when you speak. Strong communication turns technical knowledge into confidence, faster decisions, and greater responsibility.  Where to Listen: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts Share: If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

  8. Jul 25

    Episode 164 - If the Expectations Are Unclear, Get the Answer

    Confusion at work does not resolve itself. Unspoken expectations, poor meetings, unclear processes, and difficult leaders can leave engineers feeling powerless. In this episode, Steve and Jake explain how to stop accepting helplessness, ask better questions, and create the clarity you need to perform. Not theory, practical, tactical advice for engineers who want to move faster and take control of their careers. Key Topics Covered: • Why capable engineers still feel helpless in dysfunctional environments • How unclear expectations quietly damage performance and confidence • The career cost of waiting for someone else to create clarity • Why asking questions is not weakness or confrontation • How new employees can use curiosity to challenge broken norms • Turning hostile or unproductive meetings toward clear outcomes • The difference between blaming the system and improving it • Why agendas and defined objectives change meeting quality • How confusion interrupts learning and skill development • The connection between clarity, execution, and career momentum Actionable Steps: • Ask, “What are the expectations here?” before starting unclear work • Define what a successful outcome looks like • Request an agenda before meetings that regularly go off track • Ask what decision or result the meeting must produce • Replace complaints with specific questions that move work forward • Use your newness to surface assumptions others stopped questioning • Identify one recurring source of confusion and address it directly • Confirm priorities when multiple requests compete for your time • Document expectations so everyone is working from the same standard • Act before uncertainty becomes delay, frustration, or poor performance Who This Episode Is For: • Engineers working under vague or constantly changing expectations • Early-career engineers afraid to ask basic questions • Individual contributors frustrated by broken meetings and processes • Engineers who feel stuck, overlooked, or powerless at work • Emerging leaders who want to create clarity for others Why It Matters: Every day you remain confused is a day you are not fully executing, learning, or building trust. Clarity improves your energy because you stop wasting effort guessing. It improves visibility because your work produces stronger outcomes. It improves performance because you know what success requires. Your career moves faster when you stop accepting helplessness and start getting answers. Where to Listen: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts Share: If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

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Spreading awareness, success, and accessibility to the world of engineering to aspiring and early career engineers.

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