Mik + One: The Official Project to Product Podcast by Dr. Mik Kersten

Episode 44: Geordie Henderson on Implementing Organizational Design and Innovation to Scale High-Performing Teams

21 snips
Apr 5, 2022
Geordie Henderson, General Manager at AWS Messaging and Streaming, previously led engineering at Hootsuite. In this engaging discussion, he shares insights on scaling high-performing teams and the importance of organizational design. Geordie discusses the transition to microservices and effective team structures like 'two pizza teams.' He also emphasizes the role of Single Threader Owners in aligning product and engineering efforts, the value of clear metrics, and innovative dynamics crucial for organizational success.
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ANECDOTE

Hootsuite Scaling Journey

  • Geordie Henderson scaled Hootsuite from 40 to around 1000 employees across multiple countries.
  • He led multiple reorganizations shifting from director-led product areas to ephemeral teams, then to microservices-based teams.
ADVICE

Safe Microservices Adoption

  • Start building microservices by extracting trivial functionality to learn safely.
  • Run microservices in parallel with monolith APIs, compare outputs, and then shift traffic gradually.
ADVICE

Get Leadership Buy-in and Metrics

  • Secure senior leadership buy-in to slow feature velocity for foundational work like microservices.
  • Establish clear, measurable metrics to show progress and value during such technical changes.
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