
The Happy Engineer · 2026-06-02 · 58 min
Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free): Burnout isn't always about doing too much. Sometimes it's doing the wrong work too well - and most engineers can't tell the difference until they're years deep. Zach sits down with Matt Sevey - mechanical engineer turned self-taught software developer, engineering manager, and founder of My Code Career - to unpack what it takes to realize you're in the wrong work and find the courage to change it. They get into the link nobody taught him between what he studied and a life he actually cared about, the 30+ "coffee chats" with total strangers that reframed his entire career, why we go to the people closest to us last, and the difference between managing your time and managing your energy.