Why subscribe?
The intersection of technology and leadership is where innovation meets execution. Navigating this space is challenging though and can feel like trying to build the plane while flying it.
I'm Leonardo Borges (Leo), and I've spent over two decades doing exactly that. From writing code to leading engineering teams at scale (currently as Senior Director of AI Engineering at Optus), I've experienced firsthand a lot of the challenges engineerings leaders face today.
What you’ll get
Deep, Practical Insights Each edition delivers focused, actionable analysis of crucial leadership and technical challenges. Whether it's building antifragile teams, scaling engineering practices, or navigating the IC-to-manager transition, you'll get actionable insights you can implement immediately.
Real Experience, Real Stories This isn't theoretical management advice. This is the stuff that I’ve learned through experience — oftentimes the hard way! Whether you’re leading your organisation through growth, building AI products scaling your engineering org, I’m sure you’ll find useful advice and stories in this newsletter.
Some of my most popular issues:
The Four Pillars of Engineering Management — my most-referenced series, on the four disciplines every EM has to learn
When AI Writes Better Code Than You — what to do when the junior dev on your team is a model
Of AI Agents and Snake Oil — a skeptic’s field guide to the agent hype cycle
Your AI Guardrails Don’t Work — why AI security in 2026 is leaning on low adoption rates, and what to do about it
Voice AI: The Next Platform Shift — built a voice PA from a chairlift in Whistler. Why voice is the interface shift that breaks the screen bottleneck.
Join the crew
To me, The Steel Thread isn't just a newsletter. It's also a growing community of engineering leaders and practitioners who understand that technical excellence and leadership effectiveness are two sides of the same coin.
Whether you're an engineering manager navigating team dynamics, a senior engineer exploring leadership paths, or a CTO balancing technical and organisational challenges, each edition delivers actionable insights directly to your inbox.
Be part of a community of people who share your interests — subscribe now.
