Dev Interrupted The Hero Culture Trap | Sowmya Subramanian
Jan 7, 2025
Sowmya Subramanian, a seasoned engineering leader with experience at Google and Oracle, shares insights on cultivating developer happiness alongside operational excellence. She discusses dismantling the 'hero' culture that rewards crisis management. By implementing data-driven metrics and regular team rituals, such as Fix-It Weeks, she emphasizes enhancing productivity and fostering proactive problem-solving. Sowmya's holistic approach aims to align engineering goals with business priorities, creating resilient teams that thrive without additional pressure.
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Balancing Operational Excellence and Developer Happiness
- Operational excellence and developer happiness are interconnected.
- Prioritizing one over the other can negatively impact user experience and business metrics.
Misleading Data
- At Warner Brothers Discovery, initial metrics were misleading and inconsistent.
- Standardizing definitions and sources was crucial for productive discussions and improvements.
Leveraging Crises for Change
- Use crises and missteps as opportunities to introduce new practices.
- Build credibility by demonstrating the positive impact of these changes.