Anthropic Lead Engineer Shares Mentorship Tips

Fiona Fung, an engineering lead supporting Anthropic's Claude Code, shared mentorship strategies on 'The Peterman Pod' aired January 4. With over two decades of experience at Microsoft, Meta, and now Anthropic, Fung outlined specific tactics for mentees to maximize their mentoring relationships.

Key advice includes taking ownership of goal setting, using asynchronous communication for status updates, and learning how to receive feedback effectively. Fung's insights focus on practical steps mentees can take to drive their own professional development.

Mentees should actively drive the mentoring relationship by establishing clear objectives from the start. According to Fung, while good mentors should initiate early conversations about expectations, the mentee must ultimately take the reins on goal setting.

She advises mentees to be explicit about what they hope to achieve. Setting specific goals creates a roadmap for the relationship and ensures both parties understand the purpose of their meetings.

Key recommendations for mentees include:

• Define what you want to receive from the mentoring relationship
• Set explicit, measurable objectives
• Communicate these goals clearly to your mentor
• Take responsibility for driving the agenda

This approach helps prevent mentorship from becoming an informal chat without direction. By establishing clear parameters, mentees can ensure their time with mentors is productive and focused on their specific career needs.

Effective use of meeting time is critical for productive mentorship. Fung recommends separating routine updates from substantive discussions to maximize the value of face-to-face time.

Status reporting and project updates should be handled through asynchronous formats such as chat messages or shared documents. This frees up one-on-one meetings for more meaningful conversations about new opportunities or deep dives into existing work.

When hosting meetings with new employees, Fung asks two key questions:

1. What are you looking for in a manager?
2. What motivates you?

These questions help Fung understand individual priorities and drivers. As she notes, "There's no right answers or wrong answers," but the information provides valuable insight into what matters to each person. This personalized approach allows mentors to tailor their guidance to the mentee's specific needs and working style.

Some of the best career advice Fung has received focused not on giving feedback, but on how to absorb it effectively. Despite her natural instinct to debug problems immediately, she learned that patience yields better results.

A key piece of guidance advised Fung to remain in "read-only" mode during initial feedback conversations. This means resisting the urge to ask follow-up questions or defend actions right away.

Instead, mentees should:

• Listen without interrupting
• Take time to metabolize the information
• Wait at least a day before responding
• Save questions for a separate conversation

As Fung explains, "You may have questions, but save it for another day, because it's already uncomfortable enough for that person. You don't want anyone to ever feel like they have to justify the feedback." This approach preserves the relationship and allows for more thoughtful reflection on the advice given.

Fung's advice aligns with broader industry consensus on effective mentorship. Other technology leaders have similarly emphasized that goal setting is crucial for mentee success.

Additionally, finding the right mentor matters more than chasing prestige. According to industry experts, simply aiming to work with the most senior person is not always the wisest approach. Instead, mentees should seek advocates who:

• Know their work well
• Have sufficient time to dedicate
• Can serve as effective advocates

This perspective reinforces Fung's emphasis on mentee ownership. By selecting the right mentor and setting clear goals, professionals can build relationships that genuinely accelerate their career growth rather than simply adding a prestigious name to their network.