Engineering metrics should live with business metrics in the same system, not in another system. Engineering metrics are part of business metrics and they have to live together. These metrics shouldn’t stay in a system where only engineering leaders can access. Related Note(s): 4: Monitoring Work of Direct Reports;...
When you need to make a fast decision as a group, you can host lightning decision jam sessions. Phrase the problems you’re facing in “How Might We (HMW)” format, and ask everyone to write their answers silently into post-its. Then everyone puts their post-its to the wall and we prioritize the solutions and talk...
When you’re hosting a workshop to resolve collaboration problems between teams, project kick off, or something similar that require teams (or even people) to collaborate, you can use “What I Need From You Matrix.” What I need from you Team A Team B Team C Team A x A needs from B A needs from C Team B B needs from A...
Connection before content! As a meeting facilitator, your first job is connecting people before presenting any content. Focus on ice breakers at first. Connect people to each other as deep as possible. Connection works best when people are face-to-face. If you’re hosting a workshop, use card games like Ask Deep...
In recent years (2021-2024), the CTO role expanded from mostly operations to a business-driven approach. CTOs are now expected to know how to run a business, including finance, product management and strategy, and people transformation. The most significant impact of this change requires CTOs to do more on people...
Going backwards in discrimination Discrimination is hidden in seemingly small, invisible daily interactions. A short police control in an international airport, a small chat in a government office, a brief look of a local in the public transport. I know that it’s natural to have these uncontrolled moments. We tend...
Your job title depends on the organization you’re in. Get used to being a senior or junior again in different organizations. Don’t take the given seniority for granted—it's not like the PhD that gives you a Dr. title for your life. Agencies often promote people to senior roles way earlier than other organizations...
Setting expectations for software engineers is tricky for all managers. Every company has different needs and a different structure, tech stack, and culture. Whenever someone joins a team, one of the manager’s challenges is aligning the organization’s expectations with those of the new joiner. As there’s no...
How Strongly I Recommend It: 10/10 How Likely I Will Gift It: 5/10 The Review This is one of the most fundamental books, not to learn how to read but to increase the information you can extract from any book. The methods, ideas, and thoughts are profound and well-established. After reading the book two times, taking...
There is also the other side of this. Let's not put everything on C-level people; we can build some empathy. In the recent event I joined (CTO Craft Con Berlin), Füsun Wehrmann mentioned how the CTO role evolved and how expectations and role definitions have changed. What I learned from Füsun's talk was that the CTO...
Currently, the tech market is an employer market, not an employee. Organizations are using this to their advantage. But don't forget this situation will change in time. These days, during the interviews, employers can ask all candidates to fulfill two or three different roles, which they normally expect one person...
Forget about career levels, roles, archetypes, or whatever is written in career frameworks. I have one filter to define a good software engineer. A good engineer is the one I, as a manager or peer, can turn my back on and leave after they get a task/problem, knowing that they will deliver the solution with good...
