Eddie and Morgan return to discuss the intricate aspects of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) from the perspective of engineering leadership. This episode builds on their previous discussions, shifting the focus to the challenges faced by companies integrating new technology and teams. They cover motivation types for M&A, emphasizing economies of scale, industry consolidation, vertical integration, and eliminating inefficiencies. They explore the complexities of assimilating acquired technology, the importance of maintainability and extensibility, and setting up a defensible moat. From an organizational standpoint, they address potential pitfalls like the ‘us versus them’ dynamic, handling the expert archetype, and supporting team members experiencing burnout. They also discuss best practices for vetting teams and strategically planning for technology integration.
Eddie and Morgan dive into a challenging listener's question about navigating a reverse merger opportunity amidst failing technology due diligence in a small FinTech startup.
Special guest Robin Atwood, a seasoned engineering leader at Nuro, joins to shed light on technology due diligence, touching on critical topics like security, operational resilience, and compliance. They discuss prioritization and leadership strategies to balance immediate business needs with long-term technical improvements. The episode dives deep into managing external contractors, leveraging AI, organizational alignment, and maintaining transparency with stakeholders in high-stress situations.
Morgan and Eddie delve into the complex topic of ethics in engineering leadership. They explore the four primary goals of ethical tech development: protecting people from harm, treating people fairly, enabling people to understand and challenge decisions, and safeguarding rights and freedoms. They cover frameworks such as IEEE, ACM, and IFIP's codes of ethics, biases in AI, algorithmic fairness, and practical measures like smart data retention, transparency, and accountability. The episode underscores the importance of ethical decision-making in technology and fosters a deeper understanding of how engineering leaders can navigate moral gray areas.
Eddie and Morgan discuss a listener's question about managing managers in engineering. They explore various frameworks and strategies necessary for overseeing managers, touching upon crucial elements like clarity, alignment, and execution. They dig into the potential pitfalls of mismanaging through, and the importance of psychological safety, autonomy, and succession planning. With concrete examples and practical advice, this episode is essential for anyone navigating the complexities of engineering leadership.
Eddie and Morgan delve into a listener's question about dealing with costly mistakes at work, particularly focusing on the tension between accountability and blame within engineering teams. They analyze a real-world dilemma faced by a new director of engineering at a series B startup and extend the discussion to include learnings from the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. They discuss the difference between meta root causes of mistakes, strategies to create a risk-aware culture, and the importance of psychological safety. They also reflect on the principle of 'move fast and break things' and its relevance to different business models.
In this episode, Eddie and Morgan dive into the complexities of departmental reorganizations (reorgs). They provide an overview of the motivations and emotions behind reorgs, addressing why they often evoke strong reactions among employees. They different types of reorgs, such as rightsizing and rethinking, and explore the countervailing metrics that should be tracked to ensure the effectiveness of reorgs. They also touch on broader themes like effective communication, inclusivity, and the impact of emerging AI technologies on organizational design. Learn practical strategies for managing reorgs, maintaining team morale, and aligning organizational changes with business goals.
In this episode, Morgan and Eddie address a question from a newly appointed VP of Engineering at a Series C company who is struggling to foster innovation. The discussion explores the challenges of reinvigorating stagnant growth while maintaining current product stability. They delve into the concepts of balancing immediate business needs with future innovations, employing the Toyota Production System (TPS) pillars—Jidoka and Just-In-Time—and methods such as value stream mapping, cost of delay analysis, and Monte Carlo simulations. The episode underscores the importance of adaptable engineering cultures and data-driven decision-making to unlock the next stage of company growth.
Eddie and Morgan discuss the challenges of productivity and time management in R&D organizations. The conversation delves into the inefficiencies caused by context switching, the value of large blocks of uninterrupted work, effective management practices, and the significance of having well-defined organization and communication norms. They introduce the concept of 'team hours' to improve productivity, and touch upon tools and approaches to minimize disruptions and maintain a focused work environment.Key points include the detrimental effects of instant messaging, the need for a consistent approach across all teams, and the potential of focused time management to enhance overall efficiency.
Morgan 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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