The Pragmatic Engineer
Shipping projects at Big Tech with Sean Goedecke
Dec 18, 2024
Sean Goedecke, a Staff Engineer known for his roles at Zendesk and GitHub, shares insights on successfully shipping projects in large tech organizations. He discusses the significance of aligning engineering efforts with business goals and the dual skills needed for project success. The conversation highlights the transformative role of Generative AI in enhancing collaboration among teams, as well as the challenges of balancing developer metrics with customer satisfaction. Sean also emphasizes effective communication and engagement to overcome common project hurdles.
59:17
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Quick takeaways
- Proactive management is essential for project success, as many initiatives default to failure without dedicated oversight and engagement.
- Shipping projects successfully involves aligning engineering work with organizational expectations, emphasizing the importance of reaching managerial approval beyond technical delivery.
Deep dives
The Pathway to Project Success
Successful projects follow a narrow path to success, while the majority lead to failure. In many cases, a project is at its default state of failure if left unattended. Individuals often need to actively engage to ensure projects reach completion, suggesting that proactive management is essential. This reality underscores the importance of having a dedicated team that monitors progress and addresses issues, as projects tend to stagnate without such oversight.
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