“From Geek to Star” #4 - What is your proficiency in T++?

If you missed the previous episodes, you can access them online here.

🗓️ This Week – Chapter 3, Part 1: What Does It Mean to Be a Well-Rounded Engineer?

Do you feel, like I do, that we may be witnessing a historic moment unfolding before our eyes?

I sometimes think that in 2100, when students learn History, the 2020s will be seen as one of the most transformative decades in modern history. It could go like this in their history (digital) book then:

“COVID-19: when the world came to a halt. The end of globalization, as nations realized their supply chain vulnerabilities revealed by a tiny virus. And the irruption of Generative AI - marking the beginning of the age of virtual machines reshaping the job market of humans.”

That may be the story our grandchildren read… but the outcome is still ours to shape, in good or in bad. In either case, I am convinced that for us Engineers, we have a huge role to play in this future but for that we will need to be fully trained. 

⚙️ Engineers in the Age of AI: A New Reality

Looking ahead, I don’t believe there will be many career paths left for engineers who are only average in their technical field. Whether your field is software development, cybersecurity, operations, quality assurance, data, etc… AI is already your co-worker… and soon, your competitor.

If your daily work focuses mostly on BAU (Business As Usual) tasks like corrective maintenance, incremental updates, or low-context coding, these are increasingly within AI’s reach.

And this applies across the board:

• Outsourcing giants like Accenture, Cognizant, Tata Consulting, Wipro… will face pressure to automate commodity services (e.g., payroll, invoicing, routine evolutions and maintenance of off the shelf applications, SOC ops). Many engineers in those roles may face redundancy unless they evolve.
  

• Traditional companies that have considered for years Tech as a cost center may view AI as an excuse to reduce headcount, not to re-invest in talent (which I personally believe will be their biggest mistake as they won't have talents to help them go further anymore at some point).
  

• Even tech-native companies, the very ones driving AI, are slimming their workforces, not because they need fewer engineers, but because they need different ones.

It’s a shift. A BIG ONE. And yes, for many, a difficult one.

But here’s the bright side:

🔥 New Structures, New Opportunities

As large companies restructure, more and more are predicting that something powerful is also emerging:

A multiplication of smaller, more agile structures - startups, solopreneurs, lean digital-native teams - which are able to deliver impact at scale thanks to AI without needing to become huge in headcount. 

This means that well-rounded engineers, those who combine deep skill with broad capability,  are becoming more valuable than ever.

In the past, large firms were often the path to go up in terms of ladders and career. Now, individuals and small teams, powered by AI and connected globally, can move faster and do more, if they have the right mindset and abilities. In my opinion, this means that tomorrow, a structure of just a few dozens of people could become super successful and the people working there could also be thriving there in the long term, both from a skillset perspective and a wealth perspective. 

This is where the opportunity lies. Not just in surviving disruption but in thriving because of it.

🧠 Enter The Well-Rounded Engineer: The "T++ Engineer”

You may have heard of the “T-shaped” profile, a notion used in Human Resources. Alex Lossing, a friend of mine in Tech, mentioned it to me recently: someone with deep expertise (the vertical bar) and broad collaboration skills (the horizontal bar).

But in this new world, we need more than T. We need to be proficient in T++ - my little pun as an engineer as being the “ultimate language” for engineers to master in an AI age 🙂

A T++ Engineer would be for me a well-rounded engineer who:

• Has strong mastery in his field (software development, data, cyber…) and leverages AI to go even further.
  

• Can explain and advocate their work to non-technical peers including leadership, partners… and can present their work and thoughts from small tech meetups to international conferences. .
  

• Moves fluidly across silos, building collective impact, not just solo delivery, through mentoring and through cross-functions spirit.

• Understands the business domain and drivers of his / her industry (Hospitality, Banking, Travel, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Education…) and doesn’t wait passively for specs to suggest how technology can enable business in the context of the company.
  

• Nurtures curiosity in tech and beyond, exploring ethics, systems, geopolitics, sustainability, etc… thus allowing him/her to bring global perspectives in the discussions to be listened across functions of the company.
  

• Develops a network of trust to amplify his/her impact.
  

• Draws on experience and judgment, not just tools, when designing solutions.
  

This may sound like a high bar. And yes, no one starts as a full T++, just like no one becomes master as Yoda from the start. But that’s not the point.

The point is direction. Evolution. Intentionality.

The future doesn’t need perfect engineers. It needs adaptable ones. Engineers who understand that growth isn’t just technical. It is also personal, strategic, and human.

🙏 I’d Love to Hear From You:

• Which of these T++ traits resonate with where you are today?
  

• Which one feels furthest or most important to grow?
  

• Would a self-assessment on this help you map your path?

Just reply. I read every message.

And feel free to follow me on LinkedIn for short-form reflections and updates between newsletters.

✨ Stay sharp, stay curious and keep leveling up, one step at a time.

From Geek to Star by Khang | The Way Forward