No-bullshit coachingfor the messy, human, hard parts of working in tech.
You're in the weeds, out of your depth, or at a crossroads, and you can't really say that out loud to anyone at work.
Maybe you just got promoted and the people stuff is keeping you up at night. Maybe you're good at your job and still getting treated like a maybe. Maybe nothing's on fire, you just want more than this and don't know what the hell to do.
I'm Valerie Dryden, VP Engineering and Executive Coach. I've worked in tech for nearly two decades, from hands-on engineering all the way up to exec, in every brand of chaos from tiny startup to Series G unicorn. I've seen some shit, I tell you.
You can get training from someone who has read about management. Or from someone who has lived it.
If you want corporate polish, I am probably not your person. If you want autistic directness, kindness, hard-won judgement, and someone who knows the messy, ambiguous life of working in tech, you are in the right place.
What I do
As an Executive Coach I help you work out what's actually going on, what matters, and what the hell to do next. The messy people issues, the hard strategic calls, the career crossroads, the overwhelm, the moments you can't admit to anyone.
I also run an online course and Slack community for new engineering managers, for that "holy shit, I'm a manager" moment when you realise you're responsible for actual humans and there's no undo button. It helps you work out what the role is, what matters, and how to navigate the chaos.
Online course · Engineering Management First Aid
Holy Shit, I'm a Manager!
Should you still be coding? How do you have the conversation you've rehearsed in the shower for a week? What does good even look like? 52+ bite-sized lessons, direct access to me, and the manual nobody handed you on day one. No videos, on purpose. Built for how busy managers actually work.
See the course · £400 One-time payment. No subscription. No boring corporate crap. Maximum racoons.
Want it 1:1 instead? Pick your adventure.
My 1:1 coaching can help untangle whatever is going on for you, in a way that is specific to you, kind and direct. Some situations can't be solved with a course, they need the support of someone who has lived it.
I'm an engineering manager and I'm out of my depth
You got promoted. Congratulations. Also: holy shit. Feedback, one-to-ones, conflict, team chaos, managing up, and the deeply cursed reality that there is no undo button for people.
EM coachingI want more power, more credit, and less bullshit
You're good at this. That's not the problem. Career moves, burnout, masking, visibility, or a crossroads: between roles, freshly made redundant, working out what the next decade is for. Especially if you're neurodivergent, queer, or disabled.
Folks in tech coachingReal people saying real things
"By September I'd been promoted to Director of Engineering, much faster than I'd expected."
"It gave me the space to grow, learn, and become a better version of myself in an environment that truly felt safe and inclusive."
"You will find it hard to find a more passionate people manager anywhere."
"She has transformed the Technology organization in our time together."
"I spent half an hour talking to Val and everything changed"
"Valerie has extraordinary listening skills and an uncanny ability to ask the right questions at the right time."
From the blog
- A Spicy Tech Poem About Why We Can't Be Trusted With Microservices — June 2026
- Why AI Doesn't Mean Engineering Managers Should Go Back to Coding — May 2026
- Haiku: The EM Who Went Full IC — May 2026
- Haiku: Another Reorg — May 2026
- AI Hiring Tools Are the Biggest Threat to Diversity in Tech — May 2026
- Running a Small Business — The Emotional Rollercoaster Nobody Warns You About — April 2026
- Haiku: Groundbreaking Interview Tip — April 2026
