18 - AI Wrote My Performance Review

Summary:

Scott, Dillon, and Matt kick off 2026 with a deep dive into the joys (and pains) of performance review season. The conversation starts with everyone's approach to using AI—specifically Claude—to help write self-reviews. Scott shares how an MCP server at work generated his entire review in about 15 minutes, while Dillon notes his company explicitly encourages using AI for reviews. Matt discusses using Claude to scan his Obsidian notes from the past year and create a summary of accomplishments.

The hosts explore best practices for structuring reviews:

• Focus on 3-4 high-impact accomplishments and tell a story about why they matter
• Keep it concise—like a resume, not an essay—so managers can actually read it
• Include links to artifacts (PRs, docs, Looms, Slack posts) to add credibility
• Align your wins with level expectations, especially if pursuing promotion

The conversation shifts to team dynamics and the challenge of "fighting for work" on teams full of senior engineers all competing for growth opportunities. Matt shares frustrations about ideas getting shot down or handed off to others, while Scott contrasts this with his current team's collaborative, trust-based approach using DRIs (Directly Responsible Individuals). Dillon offers the counterpoint that at smaller companies, you can often just do the work without asking permission—though that comes with less oversight.

A frank discussion emerges about the "senior engineer trap"—where engineers mistakenly believe seniority means stepping away from code to whiteboard and write RFCs all day. Matt admits to being a "recovering senior" who fell into this pattern, noting that company competencies can inadvertently push people toward over-architecting instead of shipping.

The hosts share their takes on career development:

• Maintain a personal "wins doc" framed around your own goals, not just company expectations
• Periodically ask yourself: "How hireable am I based on the last six months?"
• Titles mean different things at different companies—focus on the actual work and responsibility

In standup updates, Scott discusses his goal of becoming more of a minimalist and whether to keep his Claude Max subscription ($100/month) after barely using 8% of it. He also wants to write more blog posts—a gap he identified for reaching staff level. Dillon's resolutions are refreshingly simple: consistency at work, consistency in fitness, and seeing more extended family. He also "retired" from Arc Raiders right as Matt and Scott got into it.

Matt mentions getting a new mic (two, actually—one from Scott, one from Katie), and his resolution to connect more with engineers at HubSpot and former colleagues. The episode wraps with a tease about covering Tailwind drama in a future React and Retro episode, and Dillon's request for a segment called "Matt and Scott tell Dillon the news."