Community Picks·3yScrum sucks.
Scrum is an Agile project management system that helps teams deliver value incrementally in a collaborative way. However, the implementation of Scrum in real-world scenarios often leads to complex ceremonies, poor planning, and a lack of true collaboration. Making Scrum work requires teams to take a team-level approach, focusing on flexibility, adaptability, collaboration, and results rather than rigid processes and metrics.
swizec.com·3yLet juniors speak first
Engaged engineering teams prioritize the input of their least experienced members, fostering collaboration and valuing diverse perspectives. Seniors encourage juniors to speak up, ask questions, think critically, and contribute early in discussions. The fluidity of roles allows for the empowerment of team members and the sharing of relevant expertise.
Community Picks·2yjordan-cutler/path-to-senior-engineer-handbook: All the resources you need to get to Senior Engineer and beyond
A repository containing a curated list of resources to help software engineers reach senior engineer positions and beyond, including newsletters, books, courses, and more.
Substack·2yA good engineer thinks like a product manager
Engineers need to think like product managers to create solutions that customers love. They should focus on solving customer's problems rather than the technical aspects. To improve product-mindedness, engineers can pair with non-tech people, explain technical solutions to non-tech people, ask business and customer-related questions, talk directly with customers, do freelance work, and take on different roles. Simplifying solutions before implementation is also crucial for better results.
Substack·3yWhat is a Staff Engineer?
The article discusses the role of a Staff Engineer, including its definition, career progression, and responsibilities. It explores how roles work in big tech firms like FAANG, the different archetypes of Staff Engineers, and the differences between Senior Engineers and Staff Engineers. It also delves into the duties and challenges faced by Staff Engineers, as well as their typical day. The article concludes with insights into the Staff Engineer career path and tips for aspiring Staff Engineers.
Community Picks·3yBreaking down a design
Breaking down a design involves being clear on the outcome and opportunity, doing it at the right moment, presenting the designs in a walkthrough, working at the right fidelity, accepting the CoWs (chunks of work), slicing thinly, identifying releases with outcomes, designing for interim releases, being prepared to trim the tail, checking in against your appetite, and allowing enough time.
Substack·2yFrom Senior to Staff Software Engineer... A managers perspective
To get promoted to Staff Software Engineer and beyond, you need to focus on impact and visibility. Impact involves being able to lead a wide array of projects and foresee roadblocks. Visibility includes regularly engaging with various stakeholders and measuring the success of initiatives.
freeCodeCamp·3yTransform Your Engineering Management Career Path
Learn how to be an exceptional engineering manager with a course that focuses on leadership, skill development, communication, and personal growth. Discover the fundamental differences between being a software engineering manager and a technical lead, uncover pivotal skills for career advancement, and learn about effective communication and feedback within a team setting. The course emphasizes the importance of empathy, communication, and team dynamics in a successful leadership role.
Community Picks·3yDon’t create a sense of urgency, foster a sense of purpose.
Creating a sense of urgency in a team can backfire and lead to negative consequences such as shortcuts and micromanagement. Instead, fostering a sense of purpose can lead to increased productivity and engagement. It is important for leaders to focus on hiring the right team and inspiring a sense of purpose.
Addy Osmani·3yEffective Engineering Teams
Google research found that psychological safety is the most important dynamic for an effective team. Metrics that determine a team's effectiveness include executive, team leader, and team member evaluations, as well as sales performance. Teams can identify their unique dynamics by utilizing a reflective survey rooted in the pillars of team effectiveness.
Medium·3yYou don’t need features, you need a product team
Powerful stakeholders often demand features without good reasoning, leading to feature factories that prioritize stakeholder wants over user needs. Feature factories result in high costs and low value. In contrast, product teams focus on goals and outcomes, allowing them to adapt and make decisions independently. Moving from a feature factory to a product team requires changing management and evaluation processes.
