The Unseen Work of a Staff Engineer: More Than Just Code

In the world of software engineering, we tend to celebrate the visible. The elegant algorithm, the perfectly crafted API, the feature that ships on time. But behind every successful project, there’s a web of “unseen” work that holds everything together. This is the domain of the Staff Engineer, and it’s often where they create the most value.

This “glue work,” a term popularized by Tanya Reilly in her talk “Being Glue,” is the less glamorous but critically important set of tasks that enable a team to function at a higher level. It’s about connecting people, clarifying ambiguity, and filling the gaps that no one else sees.

This is the story of how a Staff Engineer, let’s call him “Alex,” saved a high-stakes project not by writing the most complex code, but by embracing the role of the “glue.”

The Challenge: A Project Adrift

A fast-growing startup was working on a major new product, a real-time collaboration tool. The project involved multiple teams: frontend, backend, infrastructure, and design. On paper, they had a strong team of senior engineers. In reality, the project was floundering.

• Communication Silos: The frontend and backend teams were constantly out of sync, leading to integration nightmares.
• Ambiguous Requirements: Product requirements were vague, leaving engineers to make assumptions that often turned out to be wrong.
• Inconsistent Standards: Each team had its own coding standards and architectural patterns, making the codebase a tangled mess.
• Blocked Engineers: Junior engineers were often blocked for days on simple tasks, unsure of who to ask for help.

The project was slipping behind schedule, and morale was low. Everyone was working hard, but they weren’t working together.

The “Glue Work” in Action

Alex, a newly promoted Staff Engineer, saw the writing on the wall. He realized that another senior coder wasn’t what the project needed. It needed a connector, a clarifier, a force multiplier.

Here’s how Alex applied “glue work” to get the project back on track:

1. Became the Communication Hub:

Alex started by intentionally positioning himself at the intersection of the different teams.

• Cross-Team Standups: He started attending the standups of both the frontend and backend teams, not to participate, but to listen. He would identify potential conflicts and misunderstandings before they became major problems.
• API “Contracts”: He worked with both teams to establish clear API “contracts” using OpenAPI specifications. This forced them to agree on the data structures and endpoints upfront, dramatically reducing integration friction.
• Weekly Syncs: He initiated a short, weekly sync for the tech leads of each team to discuss progress, blockers, and upcoming dependencies.

2. Championed Clarity and Documentation:

Alex understood that ambiguity was the enemy of progress. He made it his mission to create a single source of truth for the project.

• Architectural Diagrams: He created and maintained high-level architectural diagrams that showed how all the pieces of the system fit together. This was invaluable for onboarding new engineers and for making informed technical decisions.
• Decision Records: He introduced the practice of writing lightweight Architectural Decision Records (ADRs) for key technical choices. This provided a clear rationale for why decisions were made, preventing endless debates.
• “How-To” Guides: He wrote practical “how-to” guides for common tasks, such as setting up a local development environment or deploying a new service.

3. Mentored and Empowered the Team:

Alex knew that his impact was limited by his own time. He focused on leveling up the entire team.

• “Office Hours”: He established daily “office hours” where anyone could drop in to ask questions or get help. This created a psychologically safe space for junior engineers to learn and grow.
• Code Review as Mentorship: He used code reviews as an opportunity to mentor other engineers, focusing on the “why” behind his suggestions, not just the “what.”
• Delegated Ownership: He actively looked for opportunities to delegate ownership of components to other engineers, providing them with the support and guidance they needed to succeed.

The Impact: From Chaos to Cohesion

The results of Alex’s “glue work” were not immediate, but over the course of a few weeks, the project’s trajectory began to change.

• Increased Velocity: With clearer communication and less ambiguity, the team’s velocity noticeably increased.
• Improved Quality: The introduction of standards and more thoughtful code reviews led to a significant reduction in bugs.
• Higher Morale: Engineers were less frustrated and more engaged. They felt like they were part of a cohesive team working towards a common goal.

The project launched on time and was a huge success. While many people contributed to that success, it was Alex’s “unseen” work that created the environment where everyone else could do their best work.

Key Takeaways for Senior ICs

Alex’s story provides a blueprint for how to be an effective “glue worker”:

• Make the Invisible Visible: Keep a “brag document” of your glue work. Note down the meetings you facilitated, the documentation you wrote, the engineers you mentored. This is invaluable for performance reviews and for communicating your impact.
• Timebox Your Glue Work: It’s easy to let glue work consume your entire schedule. Timebox it. Dedicate a certain percentage of your week to it, and make sure you still have time for focused individual work.
• Build Social Capital: Glue work is built on a foundation of trust. Invest time in building relationships with your colleagues. Grab coffee with people from other teams. Get to know them as people, not just as engineers.
• Be a “Why” Person: Don’t just make suggestions; explain the “why” behind them. This helps others learn and builds consensus for your ideas.
• Find the Gaps: Proactively look for the gaps in your team and your project. What’s falling through the cracks? What’s causing friction? This is where you can have the biggest impact.

The path to Staff Engineer and beyond is not just about becoming a better coder. It’s about expanding your influence and your impact. By embracing the “unseen” work of being the glue, you can become a force multiplier for your team and your organization.