Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

The engineering mindset | Will Larson (Carta, Stripe, Uber, Calm, Digg)

502 snips

Jan 7, 2024

Will Larson, CTO at Carta and former leader at Calm, Stripe, Uber, and Digg, shares his vast experience in engineering management. He emphasizes treating engineers as peers to boost productivity and discusses the importance of systems thinking in recruitment. Larson offers practical advice for product managers on fostering collaboration with engineers. He also touches on the impact of writing on his career and the balance between writing and a demanding job while exploring how to authentically define company values through adversity.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Changing Engineering Landscape

The engineering market has shifted from constant growth to needing leaders who can handle consolidation and layoffs.
Engineering managers now need to demonstrate broader competencies beyond just hiring.

INSIGHT

Treat Engineers Like Adults

Treating engineers like adults with responsibilities is better than coddling them.
This allows engineers to grow and take on senior leadership roles.

ANECDOTE

Systems Thinking Overemphasis

At Stripe, Will Larson's team focused too much on incident analysis and not enough on improvements.
This highlights the risk of over-relying on systems thinking without taking action.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

The Value Flywheel Effect

Power the Future and Accelerate Your Organization to the Modern Cloud

Mark McCann

David Anderson

Michael O'Reilly

The Value Flywheel Effect helps organizations navigate the rapidly changing technology landscape by combining strategic thinking, team focus, and reduced time to value. It utilizes Wardley Mapping to enhance situational awareness and drive long-term success, especially in migrating to cloud and serverless environments.

Technology Strategy Patterns

Not Available

Evan Bottcher

No specific information available about this book. Evan Bottcher is associated with discussions on platform engineering and team topologies.

Staff Engineer

Tanya Reilly

Will Larson

This book explores the role of a Staff Engineer, providing insights into leadership, career growth, and strategic thinking without following the management track. It includes interviews with experienced Staff Engineers and offers practical advice on achieving and succeeding in this role.

Thinking in systems

A Primer

Diana Wright

Donella Meadows

This book introduces readers to systems thinking, a critical skill for 21st-century life. It explains how to understand and interact with complex systems, highlighting the importance of internal system structures and feedback loops. The book is divided into sections on system structures and behavior, the relationship between systems and humans, and strategies for creating change within systems. It aims to help readers develop a deeper understanding of systems to address global issues such as climate change, poverty, and social inequalities.

How Big Things Get Done

Dan Gardner

Bent Flyvbjerg

An Elegant Puzzle

Systems of Engineering Management

Will Larson

An Elegant Puzzle is a comprehensive guide to engineering management, particularly in high-growth environments. The book, written by Will Larson, draws on his extensive experience at companies like Digg, Uber, and Stripe. It addresses specific challenges such as managing technical debt, handling migrations, and developing succession planning. Larson's approach emphasizes systems thinking, providing actionable templates and strategies for building healthy and productive engineering teams. The book is valuable not only for engineering managers but also for product managers and engineers working in similar environments[2][4][5].

Don't Think of an Elephant

George Lakoff

In this updated and expanded edition, George Lakoff delves deeper into how framing works, how it has evolved over the past decade, and how to speak to people with both progressive and conservative worldviews. Lakoff urges progressives to present a clear moral vision that aligns with traditional American values, emphasizing the importance of proactive, positive ideas that uphold citizens' well-being and freedom.

The Crux

Richard Rumelt

The Phoenix project

Lambeth London Borough Council

In this novel, Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford tell the story of Bill, an IT manager at Parts Unlimited, who is tasked with turning around the company's failing IT department. The book delves into the challenges of IT management, the importance of DevOps practices, and how these practices can lead to significant improvements in efficiency, reliability, and customer satisfaction.

Accelerate

The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations

Nicole Forsgren

Gene Kim

Jez Humble

Accelerate presents the findings from four years of research, including data from the State of DevOps reports, to identify key capabilities that drive high performance in software delivery. The book focuses on 24 practices grouped into five categories: Continuous Delivery, Architecture, Product and Process, Lean Management and Monitoring, and Cultural. It provides practical guidance on how to apply these practices to improve team performance, reduce deployment pain, and enhance overall business value. The book is ideal for management at every level involved in digital transformation and software development.

The Engineering Executive's Primer

Impactful Technical Leadership

Will Larson

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy

The Difference and Why It Matters

Richard Rumelt

In *Good Strategy/Bad Strategy*, Richard Rumelt clarifies the distinction between effective and ineffective strategies. He argues that a good strategy is a specific and coherent response to overcoming obstacles, harnessing power where it will have the greatest effect. Rumelt debunks elements of 'bad strategy' such as equating goals, motivational slogans, and financial targets with actual strategy. He introduces the 'kernel' of strategy, which includes a diagnosis of the challenge, a guiding policy, and coherent action. The book uses diverse examples from business, nonprofit, and military contexts to illustrate these concepts and emphasizes the importance of analytical rigor and focused effort in strategy development.

Silent Spring

Rachel Carson

Published in 1962, 'Silent Spring' by Rachel Carson is a seminal work in environmental science. The book documents the harmful effects of DDT and other pesticides on the environment, including their impact on bird populations, other wildlife, and human health. Carson argued that these substances should be called 'biocides' due to their broad impact on ecosystems. The book was serialized in 'The New Yorker' before its full publication and generated significant public and scientific debate. It led to a reversal in U.S. pesticide policy, the banning of DDT for agricultural use in 1972, and the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1970. Carson's work challenged the prevailing attitudes towards scientific progress and human control over nature, advocating for responsible and careful use of pesticides and highlighting the need for environmental stewardship.