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I Help Tech Leaders See What's Really Holding Them Back

Your playbook stopped working — and you can't tell if the problem is you or where you are.

Book a strategy session

Free. 30 minutes. No pressure. Completely confidential.

You want to move up — but you can't figure out why you're not getting picked.

You're thinking about leaving — but you can't tell if it's the right call or just a rough quarter.

Something is off — but you don't know if it's you, your org, or your industry.

I help you build the bridge between where you are and where you're heading — with clarity on what's actually in the way.

Services

How I work with clients

All sessions are 1:1. I start with a free strategy session so you can decide if the fit and chemistry feel right.

Something Has to Change

The path you planned for looks nothing like it did a year ago. You're not sure if you need a new role, a new company, or a new chapter entirely — you just know something has to give.

We work on: separating burnout from misalignment, understanding what you actually want (not what you think you should want), and making the next move with conviction instead of panic.

The Rules Keep Changing

You're adapting as fast as you can — new skills, new expectations, new scoreboard. But the feedback doesn't match the effort, and nobody's telling you how you're being evaluated.

We work on: reading the real scoreboard, understanding what your level actually demands, and building a leadership style that's yours — not a performance.

The Room Got Quieter

The higher you've climbed, the lonelier it gets. You're navigating politics, managing up, and making high-stakes calls with less and less honest input.

We work on: thinking partnership, navigating power dynamics without losing yourself, and making decisions with clear eyes when nobody will tell you the truth.

I've built that bridge — five times.

Amy Wu

Over a decade at LinkedIn and Instacart, I was promoted five times. Each one required becoming a different kind of leader:

  • IC to Tech Lead — it stopped being about my code
  • Tech Lead to Manager — the scoreboard changed and nobody told me
  • Manager to Senior Manager — my job became replacing myself
  • Senior Manager to Director — politics weren't optional anymore
  • Director to Builder — I walked away from the title and started building again

I navigated all of them as often the only Asian and woman in the room — which meant less room to figure it out in public. I coach from pattern recognition, not frameworks or clichés.

Formerly at

Engineering Director, Instacart Engineering Lead, LinkedIn Promoted 5x in 10 years iNLP Practitioner Mentored and coached dozens of women in tech

In Their Words

What clients say

From engineering leaders, managers, and founders who've done the work.

"She supported me through three major transitions — from IC to Tech Lead Manager to Senior Engineering Manager — helping me navigate each one with clarity."
She supported me through major transitions — from IC to Tech Lead Manager to Senior Engineering Manager — helping me navigate new roles, build credibility with teams, and make clearer, more intentional decisions.
Christina Xu
Christina Xu
Senior Engineering Manager, Instacart
"What sets her apart is how tailored her coaching is — she doesn't offer generic advice, but highly relevant, context-rich guidance specific to my situation."
Whether I was navigating performance calibration, difficult stakeholder dynamics, or complex managerial decisions, Amy was able to help me navigate effectively with thoughtful, experience-based guidance.
Chang Xu
Chang Xu
Senior Principal Engineer/Manager, Roblox
"She helped me see firsthand the value of coaching — one of the reasons I cofounded Leland."
What truly sets her apart is her ability to see potential in people and help them unlock it — one of the reasons I cofounded Leland, as she helped me see firsthand the value of coaching.
Jiashuo Wang
Jiashuo Wang
CoFounder, Leland
"She helps you see both the immediate path forward and the leader you're capable of becoming."
She brings exceptional clarity to complex situations and helps you see both the immediate path forward and the leader you're capable of becoming. She challenges you in the right ways while building lasting confidence.
Benjamin Peyrot
Benjamin Peyrot
Staff Software Engineer, Instacart
"She supported me through three major transitions — from IC to Tech Lead Manager to Senior Engineering Manager — helping me navigate each one with clarity."
She supported me through major transitions — from IC to Tech Lead Manager to Senior Engineering Manager — helping me navigate new roles, build credibility with teams, and make clearer, more intentional decisions.
Christina Xu
Christina Xu
Senior Engineering Manager, Instacart
"What sets her apart is how tailored her coaching is — she doesn't offer generic advice, but highly relevant, context-rich guidance specific to my situation."
Whether I was navigating performance calibration, difficult stakeholder dynamics, or complex managerial decisions, Amy was able to help me navigate effectively with thoughtful, experience-based guidance.
Chang Xu
Chang Xu
Senior Principal Engineer/Manager, Roblox
"She helped me see firsthand the value of coaching — one of the reasons I cofounded Leland."
What truly sets her apart is her ability to see potential in people and help them unlock it — one of the reasons I cofounded Leland, as she helped me see firsthand the value of coaching.
Jiashuo Wang
Jiashuo Wang
CoFounder, Leland
"She helps you see both the immediate path forward and the leader you're capable of becoming."
She brings exceptional clarity to complex situations and helps you see both the immediate path forward and the leader you're capable of becoming. She challenges you in the right ways while building lasting confidence.
Benjamin Peyrot
Benjamin Peyrot
Staff Software Engineer, Instacart

From the Blog

Recent Posts

The Smartest Person in the Room Is the Bottleneck

Being the go-to problem solver feels like strength — until it becomes the thing holding your team back. Real leadership means making the room smarter.

"A leader's job isn't to be the smartest person in the room. It's to make the room smarter."
Read the article

AI Won't Replace You. Your Lane Will.

AI adoption happens in three phases — and the real risk isn't the technology, it's staying stuck in a narrow lane while everything around you shifts.

"The biggest threat isn't AI. It's clinging to an identity built around a lane that's disappearing."
Read the article

Being Assertive Without Being Aggressive

Generic assertiveness advice rarely helps — this piece shows how to calibrate your presence by context: decisive with executives, open with your team.

"Real presence isn't louder — it's calibrated to context."
Read the article
Read more on Substack →

Clarity starts with a conversation.

You don't need more advice. You need help revealing what you can't see from inside it.

1

Clarity Call

Free. 30 minutes. No pressure.

2

Design the Fit

Around your situation. 3–6 months.

3

The Work

Real situations. Real talk. Your chair.

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