Cate Huston
Author · Fractional CTO · Coach
Author of The Engineering Leader, fractional CTO at Twill, and engineering leadership coach. Previously in leadership roles at DuckDuckGo and Automattic.
More about Cate at cate.blogHello
The new career playbook
for engineers.
The old defaults don't work anymore. We built three courses to help you navigate the inflection points that define an engineering career.
3 coursesSmall cohortsCoach feedback
What we do
Coaching at the inflection points.
Cate Huston · Jean Hsu
We are both experienced engineering leaders and coaches, and we kept seeing the same patterns: capable engineers stuck at inflection points, unsure how to move forward. Traditional climbing-the-career-ladder advice wasn't cutting it, and the price of 1:1 coaching packages from coaches like ourselves who are also engineering leaders is just not that accessible, especially for ICs and EMs.
So we built DRI Your Career, our first course. And then we kept building. We now have three courses, each one designed around a specific moment: navigating the AI shift, moving from surviving to thriving as an engineering manager, and beginning to taking ownership of your career trajectory.
The value of coaching, at a more accessible price point.
The courses
Three places to start.
Navigating the AI Shift
The tools change. Your career continues.
Next cohort
June 8, 2026
$499
The EM Survival Guide
Your toolkit for effective engineering management
Next cohort
June 22, 2026
$899
DRI Your Career
Start driving your career with clarity and confidence
Next cohort
July 13, 2026
$449$499
Early bird until June 16, 2026
How it works
Structured enough to keep you on track.
Self-paced and asynchronous, but never alone — a cohort, a pace, and personal feedback on everything you turn in.
/ 01
Async-first
Work through structured modules on your schedule. No live sessions required.
/ 02
Written exercises
Reflect and write. Each module has exercises that sharpen your thinking.
/ 03
Coach feedback
Cate and Jean review your work and give you direct, personalised feedback.
/ 04
Small cohorts
You learn alongside a small group. Enough for accountability, not overwhelming.
/ 05
Real deliverables
You finish with artefacts you can actually use: a strategy doc, a pitch, a plan.
/ 06
Paced checkpoints
Fortnightly milestones keep you moving without requiring huge time blocks.
What people are saying
From past clients.
Cate and Jean are the ultimate dynamic duo. With clarity, humor, and intense wisdom earned in the trenches, they will shine a light on your reality and help you find new ways to relate to it. I've turned to them for many of my own most important career decisions, and I'm so excited more people will get to tap into their deep well of playful insight through this course.
FAQs
Common questions.
What are these courses like?
Each course is async and self-paced — you work through 4 modules over 8 weeks, spending around 60–90 minutes a week. Every module has audio conversations, written content, and exercises. You submit your exercises and get written feedback from Cate and Jean personally.
How does the coaching feedback work?
You submit your exercise responses, and Cate and Jean read every one and write personal responses. This is not AI-generated and not a rubric — it's real coaching feedback on your actual situation.
Is this right for me if I'm not in tech?
The courses are designed with tech workers in mind, and examples come from engineering and management contexts. The frameworks are broadly applicable, but the framing and examples are most directly useful if you work in or around technology.
What if I fall behind?
Each course has submission deadlines to create accountability, but the content is entirely self-paced and asynchronous. If you fall behind, you'll still have access to all materials and can catch up. Reach out and we'll work with you.
Can I take more than one course?
Yes — DRI Your Career, the EM Survival Guide, and Navigating the AI Shift each cover distinct ground. Many people take multiple courses as they progress through different career challenges.
Do you offer scholarships?
We offer scholarships on a per-cohort basis. Sign up for cohort notifications and we'll let you know when they're available for a course you're interested in.
About us
The coaches.
Jean Hsu
Builder · Coach · Fractional VPE
Builder, writer, coach, and fractional engineering leader at early-stage startups. Previously in leadership roles at Pulse, Medium, and Range.
More about Jean at jeanhsu.comWe met at Grace Hopper years ago. In 2024 we started collaborating, and launched our first course, DRI Your Career, in 2025. We've been building together ever since.
Stay in touch
Functional. Infrequent.
We'll let you know when something's happening. Expect ~1 email a month.
Easy to unsubscribe