How to Become Indispensable: Fundamentals of Giving a F*ck

If you’re not giving a f*ck about how your work impacts the business or your team, it doesn’t matter how smart or talented you are. As advanced technical skills become table stakes, alignment with business goals and clear communication are becoming the real differentiators.

This talk challenges data engineers to get out of their own way, and align their work with goals that actually matter to the organization. Why thinking “everyone else just doesn’t get it” is intellectual laziness, not intelligence and how this mindset is holding you back. You’ll learn why competence alone is a trap, how great engineers get overlooked and what actually makes leadership listen.

We’ll break down the skills that separate those who get ahead from those who stay stuck. More importantly, you’ll leave with a tactical playbook for turning technical skills into influence and positioning yourself as the one person your company can’t afford to lose.

This session is for professionals who are tired of traditional “soft skills” talks and ready for a refreshing, no-BS perspective on building a culture of alignment and impact.
This talk pushes data engineers to rethink their approach, emphasizing that technical skills alone aren’t enough to make contributions valuable. Without aligning with broader business goals, the impact of even the best technical work will always be limited. Using a mix of direct, practical advice and humor, this session is for professionals who are tired of traditional “soft skills” talks and ready for a refreshing, no-BS perspective on building a culture of alignment and impact.

Key Takeaways:

1. Intellectual Laziness vs. True Intelligence: Why thinking “everyone else just doesn’t get it” is intellectual laziness, not intelligence and how this mindset is holding you back.
2. The One Question Data Product Filter: A core question to align data projects with business goals, helping you avoid low-impact work that wastes time and energy.
3. The Power of Clear Communication: How proactively communicating your progress and blockers builds trust and makes your work more effective and respected.
4. Positioning Yourself as Indispensable: How understanding other teams' goals and the business context makes you more than just another coder and instead a strategic, valued team player.

Why It Matters

As advanced technical skills become table stakes, alignment with business goals and clear communication are becoming the real differentiators. This talk will show data engineers why these skills are essential for career growth and making a meaningful impact, backed by research that connects business alignment and communication with tangible success.

For engineers who want practical, honest insights on building influence and driving business value. Helping them to position as indispensable in their organizations.