Bio
Will Larson. CTO of Carta (formerly Calm, Stripe, Uber). Author of An Elegant Puzzle (2019), Staff Engineer (2021), and The Engineering Executive's Path (2024). Maintains StaffEng.com, the public reference for staff+ engineering career patterns. The four-archetype framework (Tech Lead / Architect / Solver / Right Hand) is the most widely cited model for naming what staff engineers actually do.
Operating themes
- Staff engineering is plural, different archetypes need different review criteria.
- Solver and Right Hand archetypes rotate cross-functionally by design.
- Engineering leadership is a craft with explicit competencies, not a vibe.
Cards
- ins_staff-archetypes-rotate-by-design, Staff engineering has four archetypes; two rotate by design [Tier A]
Sources
- Staff Engineer, 2021,
raw/essays/multi-operator--marketer-rotation-pmm-builder-takes--2026-05.md - StaffEng.com archetype guide, https://staffeng.com/guides/staff-archetypes/
External
- https://lethain.com/
- https://staffeng.com/