Leadership Coach for Software Engineers, Engineering Managers & first time Founders

Personalized coaching to help software engineers, senior engineers, staff engineers, and engineering managers earn promotions, develop leadership skills, and confidently navigate career growth.

A man sitting on a beige sofa, smiling, wearing a blue plaid shirt, dark jeans, and a smartwatch. There are yellow pillows behind him and a newspaper on his lap. In the background, there are large windows with a view of greenery outside.

You've invested years becoming a great engineer.

Now you're navigating a different set of challenges.

Leading people instead of solving technical problems. Influencing without authority. Communicating with executives. Building high-performing teams. Making career decisions that shape the next decade of your professional life.

Technical excellence alone isn't enough.

Leadership is a skill and like any skill, it can be learned.

I'm Murali Selvan, an engineering leader, executive, and coach. Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of growing from software engineer to technology executive, leading teams through periods of rapid growth, organizational change, and complex business challenges.

Today, I help software engineers, engineering managers, and technology leaders accelerate their careers while remaining authentic to who they are.

Whether you're preparing for your first management role, navigating leadership challenges, or planning your next career move, coaching provides a structured space to think clearly, make better decisions, and grow with intention.

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“If you are always trying to be normal, then you will never know how amazing you can be.”

—Maya Angelou

Who I Work With

Software Engineers

You're technically strong but wondering what's next.

Maybe you're aiming for Senior, Staff, or Principal Engineer. Maybe management feels interesting but uncertain. Together we'll develop the leadership skills, communication, and career strategy needed to move forward with confidence.

Senior Technology Leaders

Leadership becomes increasingly complex as your scope grows.

Whether you're leading multiple teams, preparing for executive responsibilities, or navigating organizational change, coaching provides an opportunity to step away from day-to-day demands and think strategically.

Our conversations focus on long-term leadership, organizational influence, decision-making, and sustainable career growth.

First Time Founders

Founding a company is a hard call.

Its emotionally a heavy lift and I have first hand seen it and experienced it.

I will work with you to teach you coping mechanisms.

You have done the hardest part of jumping into the arena and now let me help you build the muscle and practical frameworks to thrive in it.

Engineering Managers

Leading people is different from writing code.

Many new managers discover that the skills that made them successful engineers don't automatically translate into effective leadership.

We'll work on topics such as:

Building trust within your team
Delegating effectively
Running impactful one-on-ones
Managing difficult conversations
Giving constructive feedback
Influencing across teams
Developing future leaders

GET IN TOUCH

A woman sitting at a kitchen table using a laptop, with plants and kitchen appliances around her, and large windows in the background.

What Coaching Looks Like

Every coaching engagement is personalized

There is no fixed framework or one-size-fits-all process because every leader faces different challenges.

Sessions typically explore:

Career growth and promotion planning
Leadership development
Communication and executive presence
Managing teams through change
Building influence across organizations
Decision-making and prioritization
Navigating difficult workplace situations
Developing confidence as a leader

My role isn't to provide all the answers.

It's to help you discover better questions, develop stronger judgment, and build the confidence to lead effectively.

GET IN TOUCH

Why Coaching?

The most successful leaders rarely grow alone.

Elite athletes have coaches.

Executives have coaches.

Founders have coaches.

Leadership is no different.

Coaching creates dedicated time to reflect, challenge assumptions, identify blind spots, and develop practical strategies that can be applied immediately in your work.

Many clients tell me that the value isn't simply solving today's problem - it's developing a better way of thinking that continues to serve them throughout their careers.

Hear it from others

Owen Runnals

Senior Engineering Manager, Coinbase

Though I only worked with Murali for a short period of time, it was enough to get a sense of his skills as a leader. I felt his people first approach gave me the confidence that I could lead my org to success and grow my career under his direction. I’d recommend Murali and hope I have the chance to work with him again in the future.
Swathi Sundar

Engineering Manager, Benchling

Murali was my mentor, manager and a coach, while I transitioned from an IC to an Engineering Manager role during my time at Uber. His people-centric approach, focused on building relationships naturally leads to a cohesive, inclusive and a fun team which I was lucky to be part of .
He deeply understands the organizational dynamics, and has coached me and other engineers and managers to navigate through them. He has a first-team mindset and an aptitude for finding win-win scenarios that enables to optimize for both people and the organization.
Murali has an acute understanding of people’s emotions, their aspirations and dives deep into learning about what limitations hold us back. Talking through with Murali about my personal goals, fears and ambitions (especially as a new manager) had helped me to break away from my inhibitions and unlock my potential to pursue challenging opportunities. My 1-1s with him have always been enlightening and empowering! I carry forward those lessons and tips and have continued to lean in on him for guidance.
Samule Jun

Senior Software Engineer, Uber

Murali has been one of the best mentors, coaches, and managers in my engineering career. I feel lucky to have had Murali as my engineering manager for over 2.5 years and I have no reservations endorsing him as an amazing mentor and leader.
Murali is one who leads and coaches with empathy to grow and up-level the people around him. Murali worked to understand my career goals, as well as my personal goals to help me grow as an engineering leader and human being. He pushed me to develop through advice, encouragement, and opportunities that helped me expand my experience and hone my skill set as an engineering leader.
I'm grateful to consider Murali my mentor and friend and I would easily recommend him to any mentorship or leadership role.
John Baker Lent

Senior IOS Engineer, Uber

Murali has a wealth of experience, is charismatic and personable in relating his knowledge and expertise, and knows how to connect with each individual. During our time working together, he made a significant impact on the broader team's roadmap and culture. Simultaneously, he was able to work with each team member to help us carve out our role and be successful. I will miss working with him and know that he will continue to be an asset to all those who he collaborate with!
Shehzan Devani

Senior Software Engineer, Uber

Murali was a superb manager and mentor. He had a unique perspective on how to build team dynamics and foster an inclusive environment. He provided strong and clear guidance on a regular basis on how to navigate through the ambiguity of the Customer Obsession org which directly contributed to my career growth. I thoroughly enjoyed working with him!
Shashank Kaveti

Senior Software Engineer, State Farm

Murali sir has an intrinsic understanding of human personality and it is through this understanding that he is able to guide you through any mental roadblocks that you may have. He doesn’t advise or make authoritative statements, but rather shows you the path you are on and how you can adjust to reach your goals. I signed up for a full day workshop and I was able to map out my mind and see what my strengths and weaknesses were and make a conscious choice to move forward. His exercises and experiences were valuable to me in making my next move. I would recommend Coach Selvan to my friends who are confused about their career path and/or want to optimize their current regiment to achieve the best results.
Shantanu Mukherjee

Software Engineer, Uber

It was a great experience being part of Murali's team for over a year at Uber. He is a thoughtful, people-centric leader who brings out the best in people. While I was on his team, he helped evangelize a project that soon became one of the most critical initiatives in our org. When I joined, I was transitioning from a different team - he helped me find stability, provided a vision for the next 1 year, and also worked with me to secure my first promotion at Uber. I saw the team become a more cohesive unit under his leadership - his own artsy side certainly encouraged others to come out of their shells as well :)
I am certain other people will also easily notice his authenticity. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors!
Robert Lin

Analytics Engineer, InfoTrust

At some point at any large organization, moving upwards is more than just putting in the hours and working hard. It becomes a combination of artfully navigating the political landscape, meeting and greeting the right stakeholders, and delivering highly visible wins. Murali Selvan is a master of all of these trades. I worked with Murali at Goldman Sachs in the Jersey City office from 2010-2014 and during that time watched him impressively build his network and climb the ladder. If you're looking for coaching and career development advice, Murali's your man.