Podcast
People Driven Development
Hosted by Eddie Flaisler, Morgan VanDerLeest · EN
There are a number of ways to develop software: Test-driven, Behavior-driven, Product-driven, Customer-driven (to name a few). But once you move into engineering leadership, you're no longer dealing with software directly.
It's all about People Driven Development.
How do you work with people to drive this engineering product forward?
How do you manage people so they feel seen, respected, emotionally safe, challenged, and empowered?
How do you deliver business results and also focus relentlessly on people?
Eddie and Morgan try to help their fellow engineering leaders through difficult situations where the problem isn't really technology at all.
16episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Systemic Imposter Syndrome
Oct 11, 202400:39:16Tap to summarizeMorgan and Eddie focus on the topic of imposter syndrome in engineering organizations. The discussion centers on the impact of imposter syndrome and associated mindsets—perfectionists, superheroes, natural geniuses, and experts—on team dynamics and productivity. They examine the organizational roles in fostering or mitigating imposter syndrome, including the importance of structured onboarding, inclusive communication, and user-friendly code practices. Additionally, Eddie highlights the crucial need for supporting neurodivergent individuals in the workplace. The conversation aims to provide practical insights and solutions for engineering leaders to foster healthier, more supportive environments.(00:00) - Introduction (00:08) - Grace Hopper Celebration and Listener's Question (01:55) - Understanding Imposter Syndrome (05:12) - Exploring Imposter Syndrome Archetypes (22:19) - The Role of Organizations in Imposter Syndrome (30:18) - Addressing Systemic Causes and Solutions (34:09) - Neurodivergence and Workplace Inclusion (38:29) - Conclusion and Call to Action
Transcribe →The Productivity Paranoia
Sep 6, 202401:08:30Tap to summarizeEddie 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.(00:00) - Introduciton (01:23) - Understanding Developer Productivity (02:27) - Challenges in Developer Productivity (08:05) - The Impact of Metrics on Productivity (12:21) - Developer Joy and Its Importance (24:12) - Ownership and Responsibility in Developer Productivity (33:21) - The Importance of Context in Metrics (35:20) - Psychological Safety and Team Performance (37:50) - The Pitfalls of Productivity Metrics (39:19) - Building Trust (49:47) - Organizational Design for Productivity (58:59) - Addressing Technical Debt (01:04:27) - Final Thoughts on Developer Productivity
Transcribe →Unit Economics is a thing
Aug 16, 202400:50:18Tap to summarizeMorgan 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
Transcribe →People analytics
Jul 18, 202400:54:01Tap to summarizeIn 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
Transcribe →Breaking silos
Jun 28, 202400:37:30Tap to summarizeMorgan 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
Transcribe →How predictable can software engineering be?
Jun 10, 202400:36:58Tap to summarizeIn 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
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