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Engineering Unblocked

The state of DORA and developer productivity with Nathen Harvey from Google Cloud

Dec 16, 2024
Nathen Harvey leads the DORA group at Google Cloud and shares key insights from the latest DORA report. He discusses the growing influence of AI on software stability and developer productivity. Nathen emphasizes the need for transformational leadership and highlights the challenges of measuring productivity, particularly with 'ghost engineers.' He also underlines the critical role of quality documentation in team success and the importance of setting specific goals for continuous improvement.
46:52

Episode guests

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Quick takeaways

  • The recent DORA report shows that while AI adoption can enhance individual satisfaction, it has paradoxically decreased overall software delivery performance.
  • Transformational leadership is crucial for fostering developer autonomy and aligning team goals, significantly impacting productivity and organizational culture.

Deep dives

Nathan Harvey's Journey to Dora at Google Cloud

Nathan Harvey discusses his transition to leading the Dora Group at Google Cloud after its acquisition by Google six years ago. Initially joining Google Cloud, he reunited with colleagues who founded Dora, which specializes in researching engineering practices. The synergy between Google’s engineering culture and Dora’s research allows for a focus on improving software delivery practices across diverse organizations. Harvey emphasizes that Google utilizes Dora's research to guide product decisions, ultimately aiming to enhance real-world developer productivity.

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