---
title: "From Squads to Soloists: RIP the Engineering Team | ELC #34"
description: "From 8-person squads to micro-teams of one. Meet your new team: Sam (Coding), Jen (Review), and Pat (Stories). They are AI agents. They don't need lunch br"
url: "https://www.engineeringleaders.io/event/from-squads-to-soloists-rip-the-engineering-team-34/"
lang: "en"
image: "https://www.engineeringleaders.io/_astro/hero-bg.CqYte35i.jpg"
---

#34 Meetup  |  January 22, 2026

# From Squads to Soloists: RIP the Engineering Team

![From Squads to Soloists: RIP the Engineering Team](https://www.engineeringleaders.io/_astro/meetup-34.DgC5lszH_Hpeq5.webp)

From 8-person squads to micro-teams of one.

Meet your new team: Sam (Coding), Jen (Review), and Pat (Stories). They are AI agents. They don’t need lunch breaks.

In 2026, the engineer is a “Soloist” who ships the whole thing. But what happens to the leadership structures we’ve spent decades building?

We are putting the new org chart on the table:

🤖 The Agent Economy: If your team is mostly non-human, what is left for the Engineering Manager to manage?

👥 The Soloist Reality: Is the “100x Engineer” feasible in enterprise, or just a startup fantasy?

💻 The Missing Rungs: If AI writes the boilerplate, how do we train the next generation of Staff Engineers?

Our speakers:

🧠 Yoav Shmaria - VP R&D, SaaS Platform @ Similarweb

🧠 Sara Maldon - Head of AI Automation & Transformation @ Make

🧠 Petr Kubelka - Engineering Manager @ Mews

10-minute lightning talks followed by a panel discussion and legendary networking!

Watch Recording

## This one is over. Here is the next one.

![Private Boat Party: Thank You, Speakers](https://www.engineeringleaders.io/_astro/meetup-41.DP6cAeYx_Z11lUwW.webp)

9Sept

#41Meetup · Prague

### [Private Boat Party: Thank You, Speakers](https://www.engineeringleaders.io/event/private-boat-party-thank-you-speakers-41)

Wednesday, 9 September 2026 · 17:30–19:30

Dvořák Embankment, Pier 3B, by Čechův most, Prague 1, Prague

Grow your exclusive network. Party vibe.

[Get your seat](https://luma.com/speaker-boat-party)

No date on the calendar right now

New dates go up on Luma. Follow the calendar and the next one lands in yours.

[Follow the calendar](https://lu.ma/elc)[See all events](https://www.engineeringleaders.io/events)

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