2026-06-05T00:00:00.000Z http://www.effectiveengineer.com/ Time is your most limited and critical resource. Learn powerful mindsets, strategies, and tools on how to spend it on what matters most. Edmond Lau 2026-06-05T00:00:00.000Z 2026-06-05T00:00:00.000Z http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/engineering-and-partnership <p>Feedback loops, leverage, iteration — the principles that made me a better engineer turned out to be the same ones that made me a better partner, father, and human.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/engineering-and-partnership">Continue reading "Relationships Are Systems — What Engineering Taught Me About Partnership &raquo;"</a></p> Edmond Lau

<p>Feedback loops, leverage, iteration — the principles that made me a better engineer turned out to be the same ones that made me a better partner, father, and human.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/engineering-and-partnership">Continue reading "Relationships Are Systems — What Engineering Taught Me About Partnership &raquo;"</a></p>

2020-03-24T00:00:00.000Z 2020-03-24T00:00:00.000Z http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/stay-happy-healthy-productive-during-pandemic <a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/stay-happy-healthy-productive-during-pandemic"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/floating-leaf.jpg" /></a><p>I felt the tension bottled up in my chest, my entire body holding tight. I was eager to be done and to leave Whole Foods, but I kept telling myself that I just needed to power through to get the groceries I needed for the week. I could feel in my body the collective tension in the air.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/stay-happy-healthy-productive-during-pandemic">Continue reading "How to Stay Happy, Healthy, and Productive During a Pandemic &raquo;"</a></p> Edmond Lau

<a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/stay-happy-healthy-productive-during-pandemic"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/floating-leaf.jpg" /></a><p>I felt the tension bottled up in my chest, my entire body holding tight. I was eager to be done and to leave Whole Foods, but I kept telling myself that I just needed to power through to get the groceries I needed for the week. I could feel in my body the collective tension in the air.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/stay-happy-healthy-productive-during-pandemic">Continue reading "How to Stay Happy, Healthy, and Productive During a Pandemic &raquo;"</a></p>

2020-03-19T00:00:00.000Z 2020-03-19T00:00:00.000Z http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/help-me-celebrate-my-five-year-anniversary <a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/help-me-celebrate-my-five-year-anniversary"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/fireworks.jpeg" /></a><p>“I love your book!” the stranger shouted as he ran past me with his dog.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/help-me-celebrate-my-five-year-anniversary">Continue reading "Help Me Celebrate My Five-Year Anniversary &raquo;"</a></p> Edmond Lau

<a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/help-me-celebrate-my-five-year-anniversary"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/fireworks.jpeg" /></a><p>“I love your book!” the stranger shouted as he ran past me with his dog.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/help-me-celebrate-my-five-year-anniversary">Continue reading "Help Me Celebrate My Five-Year Anniversary &raquo;"</a></p>

2018-03-09T00:00:00.000Z 2018-03-09T00:00:00.000Z http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-effective-tech-lead <a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-effective-tech-lead"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/compass.jpeg" /></a><p>The first time I took on a tech lead role early in my career, I had little clue what I was doing.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-effective-tech-lead">Continue reading "What Does It Mean to Be an Effective Tech Lead? &raquo;"</a></p> Edmond Lau

<a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-effective-tech-lead"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/compass.jpeg" /></a><p>The first time I took on a tech lead role early in my career, I had little clue what I was doing.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-effective-tech-lead">Continue reading "What Does It Mean to Be an Effective Tech Lead? &raquo;"</a></p>

2018-01-30T00:00:00.000Z 2018-01-30T00:00:00.000Z http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/my-call-to-new-adventure <a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/my-call-to-new-adventure"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/adventure.jpg" /></a><p>Last week, I shared with you my personal, farewell letter to Quip.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/my-call-to-new-adventure">Continue reading "My New Adventure: Leadership Development for People in Tech &raquo;"</a></p> Edmond Lau

<a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/my-call-to-new-adventure"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/adventure.jpg" /></a><p>Last week, I shared with you my personal, farewell letter to Quip.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/my-call-to-new-adventure">Continue reading "My New Adventure: Leadership Development for People in Tech &raquo;"</a></p>

2018-01-17T00:00:00.000Z 2018-01-17T00:00:00.000Z http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/farewell-letter-to-quip <a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/farewell-letter-to-quip"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/letter.jpg" /></a><p>Last Friday was my last day working at Quip.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/farewell-letter-to-quip">Continue reading "My Farewell Letter on What Working at Quip Meant to Me &raquo;"</a></p> Edmond Lau

<a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/farewell-letter-to-quip"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/letter.jpg" /></a><p>Last Friday was my last day working at Quip.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/farewell-letter-to-quip">Continue reading "My Farewell Letter on What Working at Quip Meant to Me &raquo;"</a></p>

2018-01-03T00:00:00.000Z 2018-01-03T00:00:00.000Z http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/the-most-intense-year-of-growth <a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/the-most-intense-year-of-growth"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/skydiving.jpg" /></a><p>“I am jumping into new possibilities!” With those words, I threw myself out of the plane and hurtled 14,000 feet toward the ground — screaming for my life.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/the-most-intense-year-of-growth">Continue reading "The Most Intense Year of Growth in My Life — What I’ve Learned &raquo;"</a></p> Edmond Lau

<a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/the-most-intense-year-of-growth"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/skydiving.jpg" /></a><p>“I am jumping into new possibilities!” With those words, I threw myself out of the plane and hurtled 14,000 feet toward the ground — screaming for my life.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/the-most-intense-year-of-growth">Continue reading "The Most Intense Year of Growth in My Life — What I’ve Learned &raquo;"</a></p>

2017-12-28T00:00:00.000Z 2017-12-28T00:00:00.000Z http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/startcon-keynote-what-effective-engineer-really-means <a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/startcon-keynote-what-effective-engineer-really-means"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/startcon.jpg" /></a><p>Earlier this month, I keynoted at StartCon in Sydney, to an estimated 1,000 people on the technical track. It was the biggest and most personal talk that I've ever given.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/startcon-keynote-what-effective-engineer-really-means">Continue reading "My Keynote Talk: What It Really Means to Be an Effective Engineer &raquo;"</a></p> Edmond Lau

<a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/startcon-keynote-what-effective-engineer-really-means"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/startcon.jpg" /></a><p>Earlier this month, I keynoted at StartCon in Sydney, to an estimated 1,000 people on the technical track. It was the biggest and most personal talk that I've ever given.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/startcon-keynote-what-effective-engineer-really-means">Continue reading "My Keynote Talk: What It Really Means to Be an Effective Engineer &raquo;"</a></p>

2017-12-22T00:00:00.000Z 2017-12-22T00:00:00.000Z http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/raising-the-bar-for-engineering-leadership <a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/raising-the-bar-for-engineering-leadership"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/leadership-workshop.jpg" /></a><p>Last week, I co-led back-to-back workshops on engineering leadership.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/raising-the-bar-for-engineering-leadership">Continue reading "Why It’s Important to Raise the Bar for Engineering Leadership &raquo;"</a></p> Edmond Lau

<a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/raising-the-bar-for-engineering-leadership"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/leadership-workshop.jpg" /></a><p>Last week, I co-led back-to-back workshops on engineering leadership.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/raising-the-bar-for-engineering-leadership">Continue reading "Why It’s Important to Raise the Bar for Engineering Leadership &raquo;"</a></p>

2017-11-08T00:00:00.000Z 2017-11-08T00:00:00.000Z http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/share-powerful-stories-to-shift-the-culture <a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/share-powerful-stories-to-shift-the-culture"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/edmond-3-year.jpg" /></a><p>A few months ago, I passed my three-year anniversary of working at Quip. It's the longest I've worked at any company, and my experience here has also differed significantly from other startups I've worked at.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/share-powerful-stories-to-shift-the-culture">Continue reading "Share Powerful Stories to Shift the Culture Around You &raquo;"</a></p> Edmond Lau

<a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/share-powerful-stories-to-shift-the-culture"><img src="https://effectiveengineer.com/images/posts/edmond-3-year.jpg" /></a><p>A few months ago, I passed my three-year anniversary of working at Quip. It's the longest I've worked at any company, and my experience here has also differed significantly from other startups I've worked at.</p><p><a href="http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog/share-powerful-stories-to-shift-the-culture">Continue reading "Share Powerful Stories to Shift the Culture Around You &raquo;"</a></p>