EXA Leadership Circle Returns in 2025!
Get on the waitlistYou’re technically strong and feel comfortable building and shipping products as an engineer. But you don't know where to go next. You ask yourself if you should pursue a role as a manager or a tech lead, or wonder what other options are out there?
If you don’t know where you want to go, but just run fast, you can end up nowhere fast.
Engineers often think they need more technical skills to get to the next level. They study data structures, ML, Web3, or other hot technologies. For most engineers, that’s not what helps them get to the next level.
Being technically strong alone isn’t going to help you get to the next level.
I’ve been working in tech for the past 20 years as an engineer, an engineering manager, and a team-builder. I was the 19th engineer at WhatsApp and worked with Facebook as an Engineering Manager for six years after the $19B acquisition.
Over time, I started to see a pattern: talented, hardworking people getting left behind—not because they weren’t capable, but because they didn’t have access or guidance. Now, I build tools, videos, and resources to help people navigate AI, and what’s next.
As a successful coach and mother of four, I feel called to help people secure their brightest futures. With Exaltitude, my trainings provide an inspiring mix of goal planning strategies, productivity techniques and leadership development insights — helping fellows tap into the power they have deep within themselves. In rare moments away from work or family life you can find me reading or whipping up some pescetarian keto deliciousness — not bad for someone who's first job was in a startup in 2000!
"For anyone new to tech, new to leadership, or simply looking for ways to level up as a human being, EXA is a godsend. The founders Jean and Soyoung are deeply experienced in their fields; just having access to their sage insight for six weeks is well worth the cost. Think of what it's like to have a thoughtful, articulate, caring senior engineering manager in your corner for the rest of your career. Add in the joy of learning and growing alongside a group of diverse, motivated new friends, and the benefits should be self-evident.
I landed an offer from Google shortly after completing EXA, and I couldn't be happier."
"If I approach my engineering career like learning a brand new coding languages, then EXA is the much needed mentorship to help master it. Most of the resources online are like "Hello World" program in the "Getting Started" section of the doc, they focus solely on helping one becoming an engineer, rather than mastering it.
EXA is a combination of Stack Overflow (peer to peer answers), Senior Engineer's help (experienced mentorship), well written docs (tangible tools and example to try out) to help us write less bugs in this new language, known as our career."
"Three programs from Exaltitude I found most helpful were the introductions to fellows, coaching from Soyoung, and the Live Sessions.
Greetbot introduced me to engineers with experience far vaster than my bootcamp or the one year of tech company experience. Time with Soyoung helped distill my most important tasks and how to stay focused during the workweek. Live Sessions gave me exercises for self awareness as I try to level up. The learning and support from Exaltitude helped me feel more ready to take on new challenges with confidence!"
"I was a mid-senior developer in the middle of finding a new job when I joined Exaltitude.
Through the program, I learned to view experience from the perspective of the companies and hiring managers. I realized I should highlight how my work helped not only my team but also the org. I also learned to back them up with data. I polished my interview answers with the new learnings from the program. To my surprise, I got a very senior-level position in my new company that I will be joining this month."
"After working in tech for close to a decade, I joined Exaltitude to figure out what I want to achieve next in my career. It’s easy to get distracted with work and other stuff happening in day to day life. The program helped me create space to focus on important questions—what am I looking for, how I’m learning and growing?
Now I think about how I can use the valuable lessons learned from Jean and Soyoung to help junior engineers at work, and it’s helping me grow as a leader."
The past eight weeks have been transformative for not just my career growth but also in my personal maturity. Before I joined the program, I felt parallelized, not knowing which path to take in my career. I left the program with so much clarity and now I’m happy with my role at Stripe.
Self exploration was highlighted on the website, but I didn't realize how powerful these exercises would be. I learned that more senior you get in your career, it is more important understand my strength, weaknesses and values. The lessons I learned through the program isn't something you can learn from reading books, and I’m so grateful for the program.
Exaltitude was an amazing experience for me. The self-exploration exercises, like the vision board and values exercises, combined with weekly goal setting and hearing from other engineers helped me discover what matters most to me for my life and career.
It's really good to meet people in tech that are in a place of abundance rather than scarcity. The Exaltitude fellows are all accomplished engineers invested in growth and learning. This was a huge contrast from other education and job seeking programs I've been apart of where students aren't as sure of their abilities.
"I've been a Software Engineer since 2014, and had recently started a new job as a Senior Software Engineer. During the program, I got valuable insights from Jean and Soyoung as well as other EXA fellows on how to level up in my career, identify my strengths, and promote myself.
I realized that my achievements might be empirically valuable, but if I can't demonstrate their value they won't help me move forward. We also got good insight into different communication styles and recommendations for books and resources tailored to help us move our careers in the direction we want to go."
"Being a first-time founder is like drinking from a fire hose - you're learning on the fly how to become a better manager, and how to best support everyone around you. EXA equipped me with tools to communicate more effectively, set goals that align with my value, and build a better support network of people around me. It also helped me better understand my values, strength, and weakness. The tools EXA equips you with, and the people you meet through the program will go a very long way!
If you want to reorient and boost yourself, both in a professional and personal capacity, EXA would be the program for you."
"I transitioned from a Product Manager role to Software Engineering a few years ago, and I joined EXA with the question, "What should my Software Engineering career look like?" I learned about myself in the process of deep introspections and met a good mix of peers from diverse backgrounds and experience levels (Senior SWEs and people at FAANG and Startups). I learned many tangible skills applicable to work and personal life, like time management and goal-setting. Now I have a clear understanding of where I want to go and how I can get there.
Soon after the program, I got promoted! Thank you Exaltitude!”
We've designed the three core experiences to increase your learning. By attending all three sessions, you'll practice communicating in group settings, learn to listen to others, and get a deeper understanding of the curriculum and what it means to be rewarded for doing what you love.
Learn from Exaltitude's six-week curriculum, packed with thought-provoking lessons every engineer must master.
Reflect on the lessons through prompted peer discussions led by the Founders to digest the takeaways.
Ask questions about your specific situations to get personalized guidance from our founders and internalize the material.
We've designed a FULLY REMOTE curriculum, so you can make the most of this program around your work schedule.
Expect 2-5 hours of weekly commitment.
Virtual Cohort-Based Programs:
Year round access:
Mastermind peer groups:
Week 1 - How to avoid common communication traps as an engineer
Week 2 - Get the recognition you deserve through self promotion
Week 3 - Set your goals and achieve them
Week 4 - Master influence without authority
Week 5 - Evaluate your strengths, career, and life
Week 6 - Find my values, dream role and job
Receive the Job Hunter's Blueprint syllabus and program details.
Either keep doing what you’re doing or take a new action.
Don't let your career fall apart. Get the help you need to get ahead while others are left behind.
