Hey, it’s Collin. Welcome to Engineering Echelons, a newsletter full of ideas and insights to help engineers excel at management.

Here’s what I’ve got for you this week.

First time reading? You can subscribe here.

Alright, let’s get into it.

Highlights:

Highlights:

You don't cut corners on structural integrity. You don't rush critical calculations. You plan for decades, not just deadlines.

The Shindig Shirt™ was designed with the same methodology you bring to every project. Rowdee's team spent years perfecting the fabric blend. Sweat-proof technology that won't fail during those hot August afternoons. Wrinkle-resistant fibers that maintain their structure through countless wear cycles. Reinforced stitching at stress points because details matter.

Your values mirror ours:

Just like your best projects, this shirt gets better with time. No compromises, no shortcuts—just engineered excellence that works as hard as you do whether in or outside of the office.

Use code ECHELONS15 for 15% off your first order.

Start shopping now →

_{*Partners may compensate Engineering Echelons and/or its contributor(s) for sharing their message(s).}

According to the Peter Principle, an employee who excels at their role will be promoted into a new role. If they excel in that role, they will be promoted again to another role.

This cycle continues until they ascend to a role where they no longer succeed. Once that happens, they don’t get demoted to the last position they succeeded at. And they don’t voluntarily remove themselves from that role because they don’t want to relinquish their nice title and influence.

As a result, they are stuck in a position that they aren’t very good at.

It’s detrimental to them, their team, and the organization as a whole.

I call these people Peter after the Peter Principle. Sincerest apologies to everyone actually named Peter.

The more Peters you have in your organization, the more dysfunctional it will be. This seems pretty clear. So why does it happen in the first place?

Often, it’s because the organization has only one route for promotion: management.

For AEC firms that employ technically brilliant engineers, architects, and consultants, this is a recipe for organizational malfunction. Employees who are rockstar designers aren’t necessarily the ones who will be effective managers in charge of business operations, people conflicts, and project contracts.

To fix the issue, the business must decouple career advancement from people management.

Some businesses have dual career tracks. One is the technical path, where an employee can be promoted based on technical expertise. The other is the management path, where the employee is promoted based on business acumen.

There are other ways to prevent the Peter Principle from taking hold. But the bottom line is that management is a distinct skill that requires its own specialized training rather than a default badge of seniority.

Ray Dalio (founder of Bridgewater Associates) on extreme attributes:

“Most attributes are a double-edged sword that brings potential benefits and potential harm. The more extreme the attribute, the more extreme the potential good or bad outcomes it is likely to produce.”

—

Bob Iger (former Disney CEO) on staying humble as a leader:

“The moment you start to believe [when the world tells you how powerful and important you are], the moment you look yourself in the mirror and see a title emblazoned on your forehead, you’ve lost your way. That may be the hardest but also the most necessary lesson to keep in mind, that wherever you are along the path, you’re the same person you’ve always been.”

—

Morgan Housel (author) on planning:

“Planning is important, but the most important part of every plan is to plan on the plan not going according to plan.”

Unemployment among young college graduates has risen significantly since the pandemic. The March 2026 unemployment rate for recent college graduates aged 22 to 27 was 5.6%, up from 3.6% in March 2019.

This post explores the potential impact of remote work on workers and companies.

Know someone who could benefit from this newsletter? Let them know!

Did something strike a chord? Tell me about it.

Or…

Send me an email at [email protected]

Looking forward to hearing from you. See you next time.

Collin