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One lesson from 19 years at Microsoft.

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One lesson from 19 years at Microsoft. Code and systems have a shelf life. Relationships don’t. Especially in a world where AI can generate code in seconds, the real differentiator isn’t what you build—it’s how you work with people. After nearly two decades in this industry, one lesson keeps proving itself: The “soft skills” everyone downplays are actually the durable skills that AI can’t replicate. It’s tempting to think your legacy is: • The elegant algorithm you shipped • The PRs that sailed through untouched • The system you designed on a whiteboard But that’s not what lasts. Code gets rewritten. Systems get replaced. Even your best work eventually fades. What sticks is simpler—and harder: • The teammate who finally felt heard in a tense meeting • The junior engineer you slowed down to mentor • The people who would still take your call five years later I learned this the hard way early in my career—optimizing for being “right” instead of being someone others wanted to work with. It doesn’t scale. Managing engineers over the years, the pattern is obvious: The real MVPs aren’t the fastest coders or the loudest voices. They’re the people everyone wants on their team. Every time. Not because of hacks or titles—but because of habits: • They ask “How can I help?” and mean it • They turn standups into conversations, not status updates or fault-finding • They show up when things break—not just when things shine • They give credit first • They treat people like humans, not resources Your code will be archived. Your docs will age. Your dashboards will disappear. But your relationships? That compounds. Build that first. #Leadership #SoftwareEngineering #Mentorship #EmotionalIntelligence #TechLeadership

Bruk Belachew’s Post 5mo One lesson from 19 years at Microsoft. Code and systems have a shelf life. Relationships don’t. Especially in a world where AI can generate code in seconds, the real differentiator isn’t what you build—it’s how you work with people. After nearly two decades in this industry, one lesson keeps proving itself: The “soft skills” everyone downplays are actually the durable skills that AI can’t replicate. It’s tempting to think your legacy is: • The elegant algorithm you shipped • The PRs that sailed through untouched • The system you designed on a whiteboard But…

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