Miroslaw from Papaya Global | Tech Excellence & Tech Debt
Nov 22, 2023
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Miroslaw Stanek, engineering director at Papaya Global and writer of 'Practical Engineering Management' newsletter, talks about connecting product & tech goals, managing tech debt with ownership, collaboration & prioritization, and the importance of aligning product and engineering for outcome-based deliverables.
Clarity and transparency in defining ownership and sharing data related to the product are key to instilling a culture of ownership and collaboration within engineering teams.
To effectively address technical debt, engineering leaders should align it with business goals and prioritize efforts based on the outcomes and impact on the business.
Deep dives
Importance of clarity and transparency in building ownership and collaboration within engineering teams
To instill a sense of ownership and collaboration within engineering teams, clarity and transparency are crucial. By clearly defining what ownership means and providing transparency about the business goals, engineers can understand their role in achieving those goals. This can be done by sharing data related to the product, such as customer feedback, bug metrics, or performance stats. Celebrating small accomplishments also plays a significant role in building a culture of ownership. By acknowledging and appreciating the work of individuals or teams, their sense of ownership and motivation can be strengthened. This can be done through public recognition or one-on-one interactions.
Connecting technical debt management to business goals
When it comes to addressing technical debt, it is important to align it with business goals. Technical debt should be seen as anything that hinders the achievement of product or business goals. By understanding the high-level goals of the company, such as growth, expansion, customer satisfaction, and profitability, engineering leaders can identify the moving parts of the software architecture that need to be improved or optimized. This involves making decisions on whether to prioritize technical debt management or focus on time-to-market for new projects. By focusing on the outcomes and impact on the business, engineering teams can prioritize their efforts effectively.
Striking a balance between technical excellence and delivering new projects
Balancing technical excellence and delivering new projects requires a consideration of long-term goals and industry best practices. While having a long-term roadmap can help identify potential technical debt or optimization needs, it is important to prioritize the product and business goals first. Deploying to production quickly and frequently, possibly even every day, can help iterate and improve the product rapidly. Automating processes, adopting good software delivery practices, and tracking core metrics can also assist in managing technical debt and maintaining technical excellence. Following industry best practices, such as those outlined in books like 'Accelerate,' can provide guidance in building efficient and scalable systems.
We welcome Miroslaw Stanek, engineering director at Papaya Global, and the writer of the 'Practical Engineering Management' newsletter. Miroslaw talks in great length about connecting product & tech goals, and managing tech debt with ownership, collaboration & prioritization.
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