Most engineers default to one solution when the pressure increases: work more hours. That might save you this week. It will not build a career. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down the Output Equation and why leverage, not volume, is the real multiplier of long term success. We talk about AI, delegation, skill stacking, systems, and the mental discipline required to stop grinding and start compounding. Not theory. Practical, tactical advice you can apply immediately.

Key Topics Covered
• The Output Equation: Output equals Volume times Leverage
• Why adding hours feels productive but rarely scales
• The real definition of leverage in an engineering career
• How AI is eliminating technical knowledge as a differentiator
• Why human skills are becoming the new competitive edge
• Delegation as a force multiplier, not a weakness
• Skill stacking and mentorship as acceleration tools
• The proposal example that proves small system upgrades compound
• Why burnout is often a leverage failure, not a workload problem

Actionable Steps
• Audit your week and identify where you are trading hours for output
• List three repeatable tasks you can systematize or template
• Start improving one recurring deliverable every time you touch it
• Use AI tools intentionally to compress research and drafting time
• Build a checklist for one core workflow you perform often
• Invest in one skill that increases speed or decision quality
• Delegate one task this week and document the process
• Add a “leverage improvement” step before closing major work
• Think five years ahead and ask what compounds versus what burns you out

Who This Episode Is For
• Engineers stuck working longer but not advancing
• Early career professionals trying to stand out
• High performers on the edge of burnout
• Individual contributors who want leadership without losing sanity
• Ambitious engineers who want more output without sacrificing life

Why It Matters
Your time is fixed. Your leverage is not. Engineers who only increase volume eventually stall or burn out. Engineers who build leverage increase visibility, expand influence, and create disproportionate results. The difference between average and exceptional is rarely effort. It is multiplication.

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.

Intro
Too many engineers stall their careers waiting for certainty, consensus, or approval. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down how professional judgment is actually built long before you earn a senior title. This is a direct conversation about agency, decision-making, and why deferring responsibility feels safe but quietly kills momentum. Not theory, practical, tactical advice you can apply immediately to stand out, gain trust, and move faster without burning out.

Key Topics Covered
• Why waiting for certainty is one of the most common career-limiting habits in engineering
• How constant deferral disguises itself as collaboration and delegation
• The difference between sharing information and driving a decision
• How to present recommendations without overstepping authority
• Using partial information to move work forward responsibly
• Why leaders expect engineers to guide decisions, not just supply data
• How fear of being wrong suppresses growth and confidence
• Borrowing judgment from others without becoming dependent
• Using AI and senior engineers as thinking partners, not crutches

Actionable Steps
• Replace asking for answers with proposing 2 to 3 viable solutions
• State your recommendation clearly and explain why you believe it is best
• Use “What could break this?” to pressure-test your own ideas
• Treat the urge to ask permission as a trigger to form a recommendation first
• Ask who the decision is for and what outcome they actually need
• Accept being wrong as part of building judgment, not a failure
• Stay engaged even after pushback instead of retreating
• Track how often your recommendations influence final decisions
• Use tools and mentors to challenge your thinking, not replace it

Who This Episode Is For
• Early-career engineers who feel stuck or overlooked
• High-performing ICs who want leadership without burnout
• Engineers afraid of making the wrong call
• Professionals who defer too often in meetings
• Anyone who wants more ownership, trust, and visibility

Why It Matters
Careers don’t stall because of a lack of intelligence. They stall because of a lack of agency. Engineers who build judgment early earn trust faster, reduce friction for leaders, and create momentum without waiting to be told what to do. Visibility, energy, and impact all grow when you stop waiting for permission and start owning decisions.

Where to Listen
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Or wherever you get your podcasts

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If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

Ambitious engineers are wired to help. To mentor. To carry extra weight when someone else is struggling. But there’s a line most engineers never learn to draw, and crossing it is how burnout starts.

In this episode, Steve Maxey and Jake Maxey, senior engineers and co-hosts of The Impactful Engineer, break down the real tension between propelling others and protecting your own energy, performance, and team. Not theory; practical, tactical advice on when helping accelerates careers… and when it quietly destroys them.

Key Topics Covered
• Why “being helpful” can quietly tank your performance and visibility
• The difference between developing someone and carrying them
• How underperformers drain teams, even with good intentions
• When leadership responsibility outweighs personal loyalty
• Why unlimited tolerance punishes high performers
• The real cost of keeping someone afloat who won’t take ownership
• When cutting bait is the most ethical decision
• How standards protect culture and momentum
• Why effort without progress is a warning sign

Actionable Steps
• Audit where your time and energy actually go each week
• Identify who grows because of your help, and who depends on it
• Stop compensating for repeated lack of ownership
• Set clear expectations and timelines early
• Escalate issues instead of silently absorbing them
• Separate short-term support from long-term dependency
• Protect your output and visibility
• Pull back intentionally without guilt
• Invest deeply where effort creates momentum

Who This Episode Is For
• Engineers carrying underperforming teammates
• Managers drained by constant “helping”
• High performers feeling overlooked or stuck
• Engineers flirting with burnout
• Leaders facing tough people decisions

Why It Matters
Leadership isn’t infinite patience, it’s disciplined energy. When engineers spend their best effort propping up the wrong people, visibility drops, performance stalls, and burnout creeps in. Knowing when to support, and when to step back, is the difference between sustained impact and silent career decay.

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.