Episoder
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Eddie and Morgan are joined by guest Erin Doyle, a staff software engineer at Lob. Together, they delve into developer productivity, exploring the balance between developer experience and organizational efficiency. They discuss challenges like cognitive overload, psychological safety, and the pitfalls of productivity metrics. The conversation highlights practical steps for fostering a productive engineering environment, focusing on key concepts such as Shift Left, developer joy, and the importance of clear ownership in tackling tech debt.
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Morgan and Eddie explore the often-taboo topic of money in engineering organizations by tackling listener questions about explaining layoffs and budget cuts to a team. They break down how SaaS businesses operate, the factors influencing engineering budgets, and practical strategies for managing finances as an engineering leader.
(00:00) - Introduction and Listener's Dilemma(01:13) - Understanding Corporate Finance(01:48) - Challenges of Discussing Money(02:50) - SaaS Finance 101(04:36) - Financial Decision Making in Tech(08:59) - Engineering Budget Scrutiny(17:39) - Overhiring and Layoffs in Tech(21:07) - Strategies for Managing Budget Cuts(25:42) - Alignment of Values in Leadership(27:47) - Defensible Organizational Design(31:56) - Investment Allocation Strategies(33:28) - Build vs. Buy Decisions(35:34) - Importance of Fundamentals in Engineering(39:31) - Cost Consciousness and Budget Management(43:52) - Communicating Budget Changes to the Team(47:52) - Final Thoughts and Feedback -
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In this episode, Morgan and Eddie pivot from their usual Q&A format to discuss the crucial topic of individual performance assessment, particularly timely during mid-year reviews. They explore the complexities introduced by recent economic shifts, the significant role of perceived performance in career trajectory, and the challenges in achieving fairness and transparency. Key discussion points include the impact of luck on performance, how to consider proper sample sizes, providing actionable feedback, and the importance of regular, transparent communication. They also dive into practical solutions like separating reward and punishment from the performance cycle, fostering a team composition strategy, and considering the 'how' as much as the 'what' in evaluations. Finally, they offer strategies for just-in-time performance review preparations.
(00:00) - The Importance of Performance Assessment(01:00) - Challenges of Performance Conversations(03:15) - The Role of Luck in Performance(07:31) - The Importance of Sample Size in Evaluations(11:00) - Feedback and Its Pitfalls(13:53) - Effective Performance Management Strategies(21:26) - Consistency and Avoiding Bias in Evaluations(26:56) - Growth Opportunities and Mitigating Failure(27:35) - Challenges with Staff Plus Roles(28:22) - Promotion Transparency and Organizational Honesty(30:27) - Role-Based Staff Plus Jobs(36:33) - Performance Calibration and Engineering Personas(41:41) - Addressing Tech Debt and Engineering Efficiency(44:13) - Strategies for Performance Evaluation Season(50:55) - The Importance of Transparency and Trust -
Morgan and Eddie address a listener's concern about navigating silos in a rapidly growing engineering team. They discuss how silos form, their impact on productivity, and various strategies to break them down, such as encouraging a culture of shared responsibility, emphasizing succession planning, and proactive knowledge transfer to mitigate silo formation and promote long-term team health. They also explore the potential benefits and drawbacks of having silos and emphasize the importance of alignment and organizational design in promoting efficient knowledge sharing and team productivity.
Topics discussed:
Understanding silos in organizationsThe human element of silosWhen silos might be beneficialBreaking the addiction to low-hanging fruitThe role of leadership in managing silosPractical steps to break silosKnowledge sharing and team dynamicsHandling too many nodes in communication -
In this episode, Morgan and Eddie respond to a listener who is struggling to deliver an AI-based internal product for customer support on time. The discussion covers potential reasons for project delays, with a focus on local and global issues affecting predictability. They provide insights on proper effort estimation, managing expectations, the importance of psychological safety, and key metrics such as cycle time and cycle time variance to understand bottlenecks. They also emphasize the value of collaborative work, adaptable processes, and effective communication to improve project outcomes.
(00:00) - Introduction(00:56) - Understanding the Predictability Problem(01:28) - Local Issues Affecting Predictability(10:18) - Global Issues and Organizational Challenges(16:31) - Strategies for Improving Predictability(33:27) - Final Advice for Listener(36:41) - Conclusion -
In this episode, Eddie and Morgan discuss the significance and impact of company values, focusing on how to ensure they are effectively implemented and upheld within an organization. They explore the importance of aligning values with actions, integrating them into decision-making processes, and addressing potential pitfalls like value weaponization.
Topics covered:
The purpose of company valuesBridging the gap between values and actionsIntegrating values into decision-makingBuilding systems that support valuesThe role of transparency in value implementationMeasuring the effectiveness of valuesPreventing value weaponization -
In this episode, Eddie and Morgan explore the topic of creating ownership within teams and organizations. They discuss what it means to be an owner, how to create an environment where people feel empowered to take ownership, and the benefits of having a culture of ownership.
What does it mean to be an ownerHow to create an environment where people feel empowered to take ownershipBenefits of having a culture of ownership
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In this episode, Eddie and Morgan discuss the question of what makes an effective manager. They delve into the key competencies and attributes that effective managers possess, and explore how these competencies can be developed and improved over time.
Topics covered:
The key competencies and attributes of effective managersHow to develop and improve managerial competenciesThe importance of communication, feedback, and introspection in effective managementThe role of managers in hiring, developing talent, and resolving conflictHow to measure and evaluate managerial effectivenessLinks:
Dare to Lead - Brené BrownCultural Innovation - Kevin OaksTeam Topologies - Matthew Skelton and Manuel PaisEngineering Management for the Rest of Us - Sarah DrasnerThe Effective Manager (2nd Edition) - Mark Horstman, Kate Braun, and Sarah SentesThe Coaching Habit - Michael Bungay StanierThe Advice Trap - Michael Bungay Stanier -
In this episode, Eddie and Morgan discuss the question of whether or not engineering organizations can run effectively without any managers. They delve into the underlying reasons why a CEO might ask this question, and explore the key attributes of a team and system that will succeed with varying levels of involvement of managers.
The possible reasons why a CEO might want to eliminate managersThe key attributes of teams and systems that can succeed with limited involvement of managersThe value of frontline managers, middle management, and senior leadershipThe importance of context and communication in engineering organizationsThe role of managers in hiring, developing talent, and resolving conflict
Topics covered:Links:
Nonviolent Communication - Marshall B. Rosenberg
