By Robbert van Os
Posted on 2023-07-16T00:00:00.000Z

Top 10 newsletters for CTOs and engineering leaders

Keep your finger on the pulse of technological advancements with these 10 expert-curated newsletters we've meticulously selected just for you.

In an ever-evolving world defined by innovation and competition, the need for staying abreast of the latest market trends and developments is more crucial than ever before. As a Chief Technology Officer or an engineering leader, your decisions are instrumental in shaping your organization's technology strategy, development, and future prospects. Hence, keeping your finger on the pulse of the market becomes a vital part of your professional role.

In today's digital age, technology and its applications evolve at an unprecedented pace, sometimes even making yesterday's cutting-edge developments obsolete. Understanding these trends and incorporating them into your strategy and operations can provide your organization with a competitive edge, enabling you to anticipate and meet customer demands effectively, enhance operational efficiency, and drive innovation. It's not just about knowing what's out there, it's about foreseeing where technology could lead us tomorrow.

Moreover, gaining different perspectives is essential in this process. It ensures a holistic and nuanced understanding of technology trends, markets, and consumer preferences. Perspectives can vary widely - from tech visionaries and fellow CTOs to industry analysts and even consumers themselves. By tapping into these diverse viewpoints, you can glean insights into potential challenges and opportunities from multiple angles, helping you make informed decisions and mitigate risk.

Subscribing to relevant newsletters is an effective way to accomplish this. It offers a curated and concise view of the latest developments, industry insights, opinions, and trends. These newsletters provide an opportunity to learn from the experiences, insights, and advice of global experts, helping you gain new perspectives, knowledge, and ideas.

With this understanding, we intend to create an overview to keep you updated with the most relevant newsletters out there. This overview aims to save you time and effort in finding high-quality content, letting you focus more on absorbing and utilizing the insights they provide. We believe that by doing so, we can empower you to lead more effectively, make strategic decisions, and drive your organization forward in this rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Here are the top 10 newsletters for CTOs and engineering leaders:

Newsletter Delivery frequency Author
The Pragmatic Engineer Two times a week Gergely Orosz
Software lead weekly Weekly Oren Ellenbogen
Level up Weekly Patrick Kua
Refactoring Weekly Luca Rossi
Effective software leads Monthly James Samuel
TLDR Daily Dan Ni
Leadership garden Weekly Csaba Okrona
The Sequence Weekly Jesus Rodriguez & Ksenia Se
Bytebytego Weekly Alex Xu
Amplitude Blog Weekly Team @ Amplitude

Here is a brief summary of each newsletter:

The Pragmatic Engineer | Revered as the Number 1 technology newsletter on Substack, this invaluable resource caters to team leaders and senior engineers. Each edition offers CTO tips, best practices, trending topics, and engaging engineering-related stories. Moreover, it provides in-depth explorations of engineering culture, the hiring and onboarding process, and career-related insights. Stay informed, inspired, and at the forefront of the tech industry with this exceptional newsletter.

Software Lead Weekly | Lauded as the 'Best curated and consistently excellent list' by tech leads, this newsletter is tailor-made for tech leads and managers seeking productivity enhancements and skill development. Packed with valuable content, it features interviews with experts, CTO tips, industry insights, in-depth software development processes, tech market overviews, and much more.

Level up | Catering to tech leads, engineering managers, and CTOs, this weekly newsletter, authored by Patrick Kua, provides valuable insights into software engineering, current tech trends, and industry shifts. Delving deep into tech, leadership, architecture, and management trends, it offers a comprehensive understanding of the evolving landscape. Benefit from Patrick Kua's reflections and experiences, making this newsletter a must-read resource for tech enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Refactoring | The Refactoring, an essay-style newsletter, enlightens managers, founders, and engineers on leadership and engineering team building. Authored by Luca Rossi, it shares valuable experiences and learnings from the engineering industry. Illustrated with explanatory screenshots, even newbie engineers can easily grasp its content.

Effective software leads | Discover solutions for 21st-century software team challenges in this monthly newsletter. Gain insights from engineering experts, explore use cases, and find practical articles to empower CTOs and managers.

TLDR | Embracing an accessible and concise format, this newsletter presents the latest technology and software news from across the globe in an easily understandable manner. Each edition comprises essential science and coding stories, along with a captivating glimpse into futuristic technologies. Stay well-informed and up-to-date with this engaging newsletter, making complex topics approachable and delivering a comprehensive overview of the tech world's ever-evolving landscape.

Leadership garden | Centered around enhancing developers' productivity, this newsletter is a paramount resource. It offers actionable insights and guidance for leaders to foster a people-first culture, driving optimal results. Moreover, it keeps you informed about the work culture and productivity trends within various tech companies, providing a comprehensive view of the industry landscape. Stay ahead of the curve with this invaluable newsletter's focus on maximizing efficiency and cultivating a thriving work environment.

The Sequence | Stay updated with these concise newsletters, providing timely information on AI, machine learning, and data science. Delve into the most significant research papers, tech releases, and VC funding updates within the industry. Additionally, gain access to exclusive interviews with prominent researchers and engineers in the machine learning field, making it a valuable resource for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Bytebytego | Bytebytego stands out as a top-tier tech newsletter catered towards engineering managers and CTOs seeking valuable insights. Through its adept approach, it adeptly simplifies intricate systems, offering in-depth exploration of a singular design in each edition. Moreover, the newsletter delves into contemporary subjects surrounding large-scale system design, making it a compelling read for tech enthusiasts.

I hope you discovered a few captivating resources. Enjoy your reading!