Robotics Career Strategy - Session Playbook

Who This Is For

You're already in the industry. You have 6+ years of experience. You're not trying to break in, you're trying to figure out what's next. Should you go for staff? Switch to management? Leave for a startup? Stay and negotiate harder?

These are the decisions that compound over a career, and most people make them with very little outside perspective. This session gives you 45 minutes with someone who has been on multiple sides of these decisions: IC, manager, CTO, founder, and big tech.

Common situations:

Senior engineers wondering whether Staff+ is worth pursuing
People weighing offers between companies of different sizes
Engineers considering the jump to management
Technical leaders thinking about starting something
Anyone feeling stuck and unsure what the next move looks like

What We Cover

Startup vs. Big Tech Trade-offs

The real differences, not the cliches. Compensation structures, learning curves, career velocity, and what each path actually optimizes for at different career stages.

Growing Into Technical Leadership

What changes when you move from "best coder on the team" to "person responsible for technical outcomes." How to start leading before you have the title.

Staff+ Engineering Paths

What Staff and Principal roles actually look like in practice. The difference between companies that have real Staff roles and ones that just use the title. How to build the case for promotion.

Compensation & Negotiation

How robotics compensation compares to pure software. What's negotiable and what isn't. How to think about equity at different stages. When to push and when to walk.

Building Your Reputation

How to become known in the robotics community. Conference talks, open source, writing, networking. What actually moves the needle vs. what's a time sink.

Your Specific Decision

Most people come with one big question they're wrestling with. We'll spend real time on it, not just skim the surface.

Example Scenarios

Senior at a Series B, got an offer from a FAANG robotics team

We'd compare total comp, growth ceiling, the kind of work you'd actually do, what the FAANG robotics org looks like from the inside, and whether the startup has enough runway and trajectory to make staying worthwhile.

Staff engineer, 10 years in, wondering if management is the right move

We'd talk about what engineering management actually looks like in robotics companies (it's different from pure software), whether you'd enjoy it or just feel obligated, and how to test the waters without fully committing.

Mid-level at a big company, feeling like a cog, wants more ownership

We'd figure out if the problem is the company, the role, or the level. Sometimes the answer is to leave. Sometimes it's to move internally. Sometimes it's to change how you operate where you are.

How to Prepare

Before the session

Know your current comp (base, bonus, equity) and level
Write down the decision or question you're wrestling with
If you have competing offers, have the details ready
Think about what you optimize for: money, learning, impact, autonomy, stability

What to expect

A real conversation, not a lecture. I'll ask questions, push back, and share what I'd do in your position
45 minutes is enough to go deep on one decision. Don't try to cover everything
You'll leave with a clearer picture of your options and a recommended next step

3-Session Bundle

Career strategy is inherently iterative. You make a decision, new information surfaces, the situation evolves. A typical 3-session arc:

Session 1: Map the landscape. Understand your options, strengths, and blind spots
Session 2: Go deeper. After you've done some research or had initial conversations, come back to pressure-test your thinking
Session 3: Decision time. Final offer comparison, negotiation strategy, or transition planning

All 3 sessions must be used within 2 months.

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