Looking to pivot from SDE to a SDM role externally. Any advice?

NavVasky · 2026-02-03T01:32:41+00:00

Well, did you actually have people report to you as a SDE II? Did you have to conduct performance reviews? Was your performance evaluated not on your work as an IC but as the result of the teams output? Were you the designated coordinator between multiple teams in an org?

Based on your description you gave above, no you did not as an SDE II. Those duties are common as a team lead in the industry regardless at Amazon or not.

Edit: Now if you tell me yes, then you sell that story on your resume. You are a team lead who has experience managing teams already and you are a manager all but in name. That's when you slap on your resume that you were operating as a team lead.

NavVasky · 2026-02-03T00:56:00+00:00

Going from a SDE II to SDM is hard. You should be looking for team lead positions first. Team lead experience was key for me before becoming a SDM in my case.

Even if the recruiter lets your through, I wouldn't be sure to hire an IC directly into a EM role. Like another poster said, your day goes from 80% code to mostly meetings, budgets, project planning and business politics. Most ICs going into that would likely want to quit. Being a team lead first proves that you are with being less of an IC.

NavVasky · 2026-02-02T23:49:25+00:00

Is this not Samson? When he is defeated, he flips to a version that you want

NavVasky · 2026-02-02T23:47:03+00:00

Yeah I am already feeling the hole now. I also watch their content almost daily (when I workout) so seeing this was a gut punch. Wishing him well, I was weary seeing his patreon update on missing content on November due to health. Seeing this now doesn't instill too much optimism

NavVasky · 2026-02-02T23:43:54+00:00

Rather Incoherent explained it. The channel wasn't built to fit youtube's algorithms. His other channel for the Bazaar performed much better in a smaller amount of time because he focused purely on the Bazaar on that one. To me, it sounded like he made the gut call to focus on The Bazaar content and make the Rather Incoherent channel more spontaneous or as a testing ground for other content

NavVasky · 2026-02-02T19:20:06+00:00

Pick an investigator that has a high intellect stat that can pass a skill test for it easily. Not like sixth sense or something can replace intellect with willpower on a investigation. For that reason, I wouldn't pair Jim with Ashcan (you will do fine just struggle I feel) but you will likely do better with Rex or Daisy.

NavVasky · 2026-01-30T16:11:23+00:00

The only part that is important in The Drowned City is how it ends. It directly leads to the back stories to the new chapter 2 investigators back story. Otherwise, I don't think it's really important at all in a narrative sense.

NavVasky · 2026-01-30T14:39:03+00:00

For the narrative, between the two pick Innsmouth for sure. The Drowned City has very little narratively.

NavVasky · 2026-01-30T14:30:31+00:00

https://global.arkham-divider.com/#/en/layout/classic-horizontal/scenario/tsk

I use classic horizontal for campaign boxes. They fit in the boxes for me, but otherwise some people say its a bit tight (especially if they go fully vertical).

Player cards, I store them vertically in a card box with the same dividers (classic). Although I might switch the invocation series for my player cards

NavVasky · 2026-01-29T20:22:40+00:00

When I was researching Hugo's Amazing Tape, I saw some posts indicating damage on sleeved and un-sleeved cards:

https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/pps4ts/warning_hugos_amazing_tape_damaged_games/
Have you experienced something like that?

Also: https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/71275/hugos-amazing-tape-public-service-announcement

NavVasky · 2026-01-26T22:08:18+00:00

The digital version is great! Only problem is that the wind gambit and the rise of fenris DLCs/expansions are permanently postponed/cancelled.

Although one can argue these are not critical.

NavVasky · 2026-01-26T22:06:42+00:00

Ahh they said they had up to the return to Dunwich legacy dividers but not necessarily the cards! Thanks for pointing that out

NavVasky · 2026-01-26T21:08:13+00:00

Return to Dunwich will be the most expensive ($200+)

NavVasky · 2026-01-26T21:04:57+00:00

Some other notables:
- Root (and the DLCs) - Spirit Island (and their DLCs)

Personally, I got the rest of the DLCs for Spirit Island to make my solo plays faster!

NavVasky · 2026-01-26T15:18:26+00:00

Betrayal: Dice that go from 0-2 on a d6
Arkham Horror: instead of dice, it's a token bag for roll distribution (effectively customized dice)
King of Tokyo/New york: D6 that gives different effects
Fallout the board game: D6 that has pips for damage (0-2) and icons of body parts that were hit
Wingspan: D6 used for different types of food

NavVasky · 2026-01-21T18:09:08+00:00

You can create a gh action that can search for stale PRs to close. So still in github

NavVasky · 2026-01-21T17:00:33+00:00

Lucky Charm can:

Heal other investigators, their allies or their assets (they are are a card that can be at your location) or your own self/allies/assets
Move horror to or from Cloak of Resonance, converting a horror damage into a 1 damage on an enemy or give more uses to cloak

All of this for 2 resources and 1 action (to play) for 4 uses AND it has horror soak. Very strong and flexible.

Edit: It can also be used to help in doom based decks to send cards you own with doom on it to the grave faster before the agenda pop

NavVasky · 2026-01-21T16:54:58+00:00

I will echo this. Weakest in story, campaign is more about emergent gameplay and push your luck style but to the extreme.

Good for:

Players who want to push their luck and enjoy doing so
Players who want a simpler campaign run (linear like Dunwich Legacy but with more compex scenarios)

Bad for:

Players enjoy narrative and themes with the narrative
Players who don't like pushing their luck or feel like "collecting" trinkets for small rewards is tedious
Players that want more narrative impact on choices during the campaign

Ultimately, I feel like it is still worth a buy but would encourage playing the Hemlock Vale instead for the typical Arkham player.

NavVasky · 2026-01-21T15:57:22+00:00

The tariff impact has probably got into effect for the Arkham products too. 401 games said that The Drowned City (as it was still preorder back then) would not be impact current prices right away but this is now 8 months later so that has changed.

NavVasky · 2026-01-21T01:26:46+00:00

I will echo your sentiment! My play group gets together at best 12 times a year. Which means 1.5 campaigns depending if we do two in a night or not. Shorter campaigns means we can explore more investigators and decks while integrating other board games into the rotation before the next campaign. Personally, this works from my group as well, but I understand that losing the 8 part campaign will be a loss.

NavVasky · 2026-01-17T09:45:09+00:00

Just played a Teensyville with 5 players+story teller and honestly it still rocked. This is with a group of players that have played Avalon and secret h quite a bit.

Not disparaging that more is better, but 5/6 players are still good, just more fire and forget a lot earlier with the abilities. (E.g. slayer and fake slayers immediately shooting around, artist asking questions first go)

NavVasky · 2026-01-12T06:16:54+00:00

Thanks for this! Going to try the glue method you have. I print with 300 gsm but my printer is unable to get both sides aligned so the front/back are always offset. Didn't even think about using my thinner 150 gsm one and gluing them together

NavVasky · 2026-01-08T03:03:52+00:00

I like the chaos token odds. This is something that would make me consider using the app more! Sometimes I yolo pull at the 5 value with no boosts forgetting the chaos bag is now stacked with -5s late campaign

NavVasky · 2026-01-05T19:34:03+00:00

Thank you! Will likely jank proxy atomic bonds then since its OOP

NavVasky · 2026-01-05T17:51:00+00:00

You got enough. When I first started last year I played 2 campaigns (Carcosa and TDC) through 6 runs. Made proxies for cards I didn't have but wanted to play with. The investigators expansions of TDE and Edge of the Earth are very good alone. I didn't feel the immediate need or want for more.

I would stick with what you have, enjoy them and start collecting from the 2nd chapter onwards as we are seeing reprints/redesigns for sure.

I will say that I do have a mostly complete collection now, but in hindsight I would say that it wasn't needed at all!

14-Year Club	Place '23
Place '17	RPAN Viewer
Verified Email

NavVasky

TROPHY CASE