From Code to Leadership: My Journey Growing as a Frontend Engineer

Frontline: Early Stage

I joined Taobao ten years ago, not in a dedicated front‑end team or core business. At first I had no clear career plan and worked on both front‑end and back‑end tasks, including a double‑11 project that displayed GMV data in a table. The team used YUI, and I experimented with mixing YUI and server‑side code, which eventually caught the attention of senior leaders. When Taobao abandoned YUI, I shifted focus to front‑end development.

Exploring Node and Building Infrastructure

Later I started using Node during Alibaba’s early infrastructure era, tackling encryption, communication protocols, and middleware clients. I once rewrote a big‑integer library by hand from Java source, spending a month on it. Joining the Chair team, we collaborated with top contributors to lay the foundation for Alibaba’s Node infrastructure, expanding my knowledge and easing future projects.

Career Progression and Self‑Reflection

From level P5 to P7 I faced setbacks, such as a failed promotion from P5 to P6. I learned that clear self‑awareness of strengths and a steady, focused path are essential for growth.

First Leadership Experience

When asked to lead a team, I accepted without much preparation. Early on, my team was highly self‑driven, but as responsibilities grew—spanning Alipay membership, wealth, insurance, engineering, and merchant openness—I faced increasing pressure. I aim to be a simple, professional, and caring leader, believing a leader should be at the front, not just directing from behind.

Leaders should still write code to maintain technical sensitivity; writing code should focus on key architecture, prototypes, and core engineering, while avoiding micromanagement of every detail.

Thoughts on Growth‑Oriented Teams

Maintain a positive mindset and pursue goals quickly.

Continuously think and experiment to innovate beyond existing front‑end solutions.

Prefer tackling problems with better solutions rather than just completing tasks.

Plan from point to plane: start small, expand to broader impact.

Step out of the comfort zone; organizations that stay comfortable risk failure.

Continuous learning builds a learning‑oriented organization.

Growth is the cultivation of transferable abilities.

Break professional boundaries—frontend engineers can contribute anywhere.

Effective upward management and communication are vital for coordination.

Leverage external resources and community contributions.

Adopt the WHY‑HOW‑WHAT thinking model to align business value with technical execution.

Conclusion

Exploring future‑oriented teams, learning from projects, and continuously honing core skills are the path to personal and team growth.

Follow "Alibaba F2E" to stay updated on Alibaba front‑end trends.