Emerging Technologies Skill
Quick Reference
| Technology | Timeline | Demand | Entry Point | |-----------|----------|--------|-------------| | Prompt Engineering | 2-4 wk | Very High | Any developer | | AI Agents | 4-6 wk | Very High | Python developer | | AI Red Teaming | 6-8 wk | High | Security background | | Product Management | 3-6 mo | High | Any engineer | | Engineering Management | 3-6 mo | High | Senior engineer |
Emerging Tech Paths
Prompt Engineering
[1] Basic Prompting (3-5 days)
│ └─ Clear instructions, context
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▼
[2] Few-shot Learning (3-5 days)
│ └─ Examples, patterns
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[3] Chain-of-Thought (3-5 days)
│ └─ Step-by-step reasoning
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[4] Structured Output (3-5 days)
│ └─ JSON, schemas, validation
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[5] Optimization (ongoing)
└─ Evaluation, iteration
Key Techniques: | Technique | Description | Use When | |-----------|-------------|----------| | Zero-shot | Direct instruction | Simple tasks | | Few-shot | Examples provided | Pattern matching | | CoT | Step-by-step | Complex reasoning | | Role-based | Persona assignment | Expert behavior | | Structured | Format constraints | Integration |
AI Agents (2025 Hot Skill)
[1] LLM Fundamentals (1 wk)
│ └─ Tokens, embeddings, context
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[2] Tool Calling (1 wk)
│ └─ Function definitions, execution
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[3] Agent Architecture (2 wk)
│ └─ Perceive-Reason-Act loop
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[4] Error Handling (1 wk)
│ └─ Retries, fallbacks, guardrails
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[5] Production Deploy (ongoing)
└─ Monitoring, evaluation
Agent Architecture:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ AGENTIC LOOP │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 1. PERCEIVE: Observe, gather context │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ 2. REASON: LLM decides next action │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ 3. ACT: Execute tools/APIs │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ 4. REFLECT: Evaluate, update strategy │
│ │ │
│ └─► Loop until goal or max │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Design Patterns (Anthropic 2025): | Pattern | Description | Best For | |---------|-------------|----------| | Prompt Chaining | Sequential fixed steps | Predictable workflows | | Routing | Classify and dispatch | Multi-domain tasks | | Parallelization | Concurrent subtasks | Speed optimization | | Orchestrator-Workers | Central delegation | Complex decomposition | | Evaluator-Optimizer | Generate + critique | Quality-critical |
AI Red Teaming
[1] LLM Security Basics (1-2 wk)
│ └─ Attack surfaces, vulnerabilities
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[2] Adversarial Prompting (2 wk)
│ └─ Jailbreaks, prompt injection
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[3] Bias Testing (2 wk)
│ └─ Demographic probes, fairness
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[4] Safety Evaluation (2 wk)
└─ Guardrails, alignment testing
Techniques: | Category | Method | Goal | |----------|--------|------| | Jailbreaking | Bypass safety | Test guardrails | | Prompt Injection | Hidden instructions | Test input handling | | Bias Testing | Demographic probes | Find unfair outputs | | Adversarial | Edge cases | Find failure modes |
Leadership Paths
Product Management
Timeline: 3-6 months transition
Core Responsibilities:
- Vision & Strategy
- User Research
- Feature Prioritization
- Roadmapping
- Success Metrics
Key Skills: | Skill | Why Important | |-------|---------------| | Communication | Align stakeholders | | Data Analysis | Evidence-based decisions | | User Empathy | Build right features | | Prioritization | Focus on impact | | Technical Literacy | Credibility with eng |
Frameworks:
- Prioritization: RICE, MoSCoW, Kano
- Discovery: Jobs-to-be-Done, Design Sprints
- Metrics: AARRR, North Star
Engineering Management
Timeline: 3-6 months transition
Responsibilities:
- Hire & develop engineers
- 1:1s and feedback
- Remove blockers
- Set goals and vision
- Team culture and health
Key Skills: | Skill | Why Important | |-------|---------------| | Delegation | Scale yourself | | Feedback | Grow your team | | Strategic Thinking | Long-term planning | | Emotional Intelligence | Handle people issues | | Technical Literacy | Maintain credibility |
Common Challenges:
- Letting go of coding
- Difficult conversations
- Managing former peers
- Up vs down management
Developer Relations
Timeline: 2-3 months transition
Responsibilities:
- Community engagement
- Content creation
- Developer advocacy
- Feedback gathering
- Trust building
Content Types: | Type | Platform | Effort | |------|----------|--------| | Blog posts | Dev.to | Medium | | Tutorials | Docs | Medium | | Videos | YouTube | High | | Talks | Conferences | High | | Examples | GitHub | Low |
Career Transitions
| From | To | Difficulty | Key Bridge | |------|----|-----------:|------------| | Dev → PM | Medium | Product sense + communication | | Dev → EM | Medium | Leadership + people skills | | Dev → DevRel | Low | Communication + community | | Dev → Architect | Medium | System design + strategy |
Leadership Ladder
Individual Contributor (0-2 yr)
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Lead / Senior (2-5 yr)
│
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Manager (5+ yr)
│
┌────┴────┐
▼ ▼
IC Track Management Track
(Staff, (Director,
Principal) VP, CTO)
Troubleshooting
Want to transition to PM?
├─► Build product sense: analyze products you use
├─► Get experience: side projects, internal transfers
├─► Learn frameworks: RICE, user research
└─► Network: talk to PMs, understand their day
Want to become a manager?
├─► Start mentoring: lead projects, help juniors
├─► Build soft skills: communication, feedback
├─► Understand: you're not coding anymore
└─► Talk to: your manager about the path
AI agent not working?
├─► Tool definitions clear? → Improve docs
├─► Context window full? → Summarize
├─► Looping forever? → Add max iterations
└─► Wrong tools called? → Improve routing
Common Failure Modes
| Symptom | Root Cause | Recovery | |---------|------------|----------| | PM rejected by eng | Too many requirements | Fewer, clearer asks | | Team not performing | Micromanaging | Delegate more | | Agent loops forever | No exit condition | Max iterations | | Community not engaging | Wrong content | Ask what they need |
Next Actions
Specify your interest area (emerging tech or leadership) for detailed guidance.