Distributed. Inside the 3rd largest Rails monolith in the world with Cisco Tech Lead Ed Gibbs
Jul 3, 2025
Ed Gibbs, Software Engineering Tech Lead at Cisco Meraki, shares his unique journey from physics to tech. He discusses the quirky tradition of 'Fez Friday,' promoting team bonding in a remote environment. Ed dives into innovative practices like meandering syncs, emphasizing collaboration over traditional meetings. He reveals strategies for scaling change within a massive engineering team and the importance of balancing refactoring with delivery in complex systems. Insights on navigating legacy code and the significance of experimentation round out this engaging conversation.
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The Origin of Fez Friday
- Ed Gibbs created "Fez Friday" to stand out as a remote worker and make himself memorable.
- This tradition boosted team cohesion and became a beloved cultural element across his teams.
How a Bug Inspired TDD Passion
- Early in his career, Ed experienced a major bug on election night due to lacking test coverage.
- This painful incident sparked his passion for test-driven development and automated testing.
Introducing New Practices Slowly
- Introduce new engineering practices gradually and find willing early adopters in less experienced teams.
- Avoid fighting battles over methods; set minimum standards and adapt to gain broader acceptance.
