Lately, the industry cannot stop talking about Agency.

In today’s world, being a “good dev” isn’t just about how many languages you know; it’s about your ability to navigate a world where the map hasn’t been drawn yet. Agency is the refusal to be a spectator and being a driven towards progress.

Here is how I build that agency. Whether you’re at a scrappy startup or a tech giant like Google, the lessons that actually move the needle are about mindset and high-agency. And as AI integrates more into our lifes and work, agency will be more valued than any other trait.

I cannot believe I am using the word Agency rather than Hunger as that is what I used to define this behaviour. The meme’s have got me too. Sorry, I digress.

Here are some paths to stop being spectators of our own lives.

  1. Bias Towards Action In a life and in code, there are no rules and no time for theoretical debates unless you are breaking the law. The gift of adulthood! Shipping defeats debates and meetings. You can edit a bad piece of code, but you can’t edit a blank one. Don’t wait for the perfect architecture. Momentum creates clarity; analysis paralysis creates nothing.

  2. Solve Problems, Not Tech I used to think being an engineer was about the “stack.” It is NOT. It’s about the user. The best engineers are obsessed with understanding user struggles deeply. If you start with a solution, you build complexity. If you start with a human problem, you find the elegant, simple “least-worst” tool that actually works. In the words of Tim Ferriss;

    The person who can simplify things is the one who wins.

  3. Your Ego is the Overhead I once wrote that startups are run by high-performance individuals with zero ego. Being right is cheap. Getting to “right” together is the work. Clever code is just operational risk; clarity is seniority. If you want to be right, be a philosopher. If you want to make an impact, be a leader.

  4. Manage Your Energy, Not Your Clock Working at a startup feels like a family because everyone is all-in. But you have to protect that fire. I have been burnt out few times in my career but it wasn’t just about overwork; it was about a lack of impact I was making! If you can’t articulate your impact when you’re not in the room, your impact is effectively optional. Your code doesn’t advocate for you; people do.

  5. High Agency is the Only Currency The “magic” I felt at companies came from realizing I had no limitations. It’s the ability to find a way through when the path isn’t clear and having the trust of the team which let’s you explore those paths. Don’t wait for a promotion or a “design doc” to tell you what to do. Take the “innovation tokens” you have and spend them where they matter. Everything else should be “boring” so you can focus on the breakthrough. Again in the words of Tim Ferriss;

    What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.

  6. The 2am Strategy Your code is a strategy memo to a stranger who will have to fix it at 2am. If you’re being “clever,” you’re being selfish. Optimize for comprehension.

    Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. These words by Leonardo da Vinci are to live by.

Final Thoughts Most people go to a job. When you join the right team and have the right mindset; you have a life. You discover yourself, your limits, and your passions.

Whether you’re at Google or starting your own thing, don’t be a spectator. Create fast, fail fast, and keep your focus on the people at the other end of the screen.

I think Picasso said it best; Picasso