> Markdown version of [/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1435-the-path-to-staff](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1435-the-path-to-staff). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md).

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# The path to Staff Engineer and beyond - staying on the IC train


- **Event:** World Congress 2026 North America

## Description

From the early steps that set me onto this path, to the challenges of mentorship and leadership roles, I'll discuss what it means to thrive as an Individual Contributor (IC) in a world that often pushes for management. This talk will not only reflect on my personal experiences but also provide insights and strategies for engineers who aspire to make a meaningful impact while staying true to their technical passions. 

## Speaker

### [Graham Gilbert](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/@graham-gilbert)

Senior Staff Engineer at Airbnb


## Related talks at this congress

- [Culture Doesn't Scale Itself: Leading Engineering Teams Through Hypergrowth and the AI Transition](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1411-culture-doesn-t) — Thanos Baskous
- [The Agentic Engineering Loop](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1704-the-agentic) — Kevin Lin
- [Honey, look! I vibe-coded an OS!](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1706-honey-look-i-vibe) — Ian Smith
- [GitHub’s Team X-Ray: Your Repository Knows More About Your Team Than Your Team Does](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-north-america/sessions/1691-github-s-team-x-ray) — Andrea Griffiths

## Watch remotely

Can’t make it to San José? Watch this session live with Pro. You also get:

- All full videos, bookmarks, and playlists
- World Congress livestreams

[See pricing](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/pricing)

## Links

- [Get tickets](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/world-congress-north-america/tickets)