In this episode of the groCTO Podcast, host Kovid Batra interviews Anton Zaides, the Director of Engineering at Taranis and author of the Leading Developers newsletter. The focus of their discussion is on the challenges and strategies involved in leading development teams versus platform teams.

Anton explores the distinctions between overseeing development teams and platform teams, emphasizing the necessity for product engineers to grasp platform operations. He shares his experience in fostering collaboration and understanding by role-swapping between product and platform engineers for short periods, which has proven to be enlightening and beneficial for both sides. He also touches on the need for better communication and alignment between platform teams' efforts and business outcomes, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and appreciating the unsung heroes of platform engineering. The conversation wraps up with practical advice for product engineering managers to strengthen empathy and improve collaboration, ultimately leading to more cohesive and effective tech teams.

💡 Highlights

🔄 Switching Sides: How engineers learn to think like each other.

📊 Tech Meets Business: Platform teams’ role in achieving company goals.

🏆 The Unsung Champions: Spotlight on the impact of platform engineers.

🌍 Bridging the Gap: The crucial role of PMs in aligning product & platform visions.

🛠️ Leading with Empathy: Transform your team with these leadership hacks.

🎧 Full Episode

Listen on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more.

Read the Episode Transcript.

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