Dev Interrupted

Realistic Product Roadmaps and Other Lies | Best Egg’s Johnny Ray Austin

Jul 2, 2024

Engineering leader Johnny Ray Austin discusses handling unrealistic expectations in product development, aligning roadmaps with business goals, managing ambiguity in teams, and debunking common industry delusions like 'build it and they will come'. The conversation emphasizes the importance of transparency, meaningful metrics, and fostering a high-performing engineering culture to drive successful outcomes.

43:57

Episode guests

Johnny Ray Austin

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Engineering leaders must align product roadmaps realistically to drive focus and concentration towards the right outcomes.

Dealing with ambiguity and driving clarity are essential skills for building team resilience and success.

Deep dives

The Importance of Direction Over Speed

Focusing on moving quickly can lead to burnout and lack of direction, resulting in a team not achieving its desired outcomes. It's crucial for leaders to provide the right context and prioritization to avoid just keeping the team busy without meaningful progress.

Intro

2min

Exploring Pressure Faced by Engineering Leaders with a Quirky UFO Analogy

2min

Navigating the Challenges of Product Roadmap Realism and Incentive Structures

2min

Navigating Meaningful Metrics and Outcome-Driven Approach

16min

Exploring Delusions in the Tech Industry

2min

Embracing Change and Building Resilience in a Technology Business

16min

Discussion on the Risks of Artificial Intelligence and Data Integrity

3min

When we first saw the talk titled “Space Aliens Are Among Us, Your Product Roadmap is Realistic and Other Lies you Believe,” we knew we had to sit down with Best Egg’s Johnny Ray Austin at LeadingEng SF last year.

Johnny joined our host Conor Bronsdon to discuss how engineering leaders can navigate unrealistic expectations and pressures, drawing from his experiences and relating product roadmaps to the less-than-tangible UFO disclosure we’ve seen in recent years. The conversation explores the pressures engineering leaders face, how to align product roadmaps realistically, and how to manage ambiguity within teams.

By aligning engineering goals with business objectives and building a transparent, high-performing engineering culture, you can give your teams the context they need to drive focus and concentration toward the right outcomes.

Episode Highlights:

1:36 Where Johnny came up with the talk title "Space Aliens Are Among Us"
4:15 Advice for engineering leaders struggling with roadmap realism
6:44 Cutting through the noise to find the metrics that matter
11:41 How do teams know if they're moving fast in the right direction?
14:58 How do you handle teams that are getting the wrong input?
20:32 Lies we tell ourselves that we need to get past
28:32 What it’s like to create a new unit inside a company
33:53 Identifying and dealing with ambiguity on your teams
40:45 Johnny’s Thoughts on AI

Show Notes

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Dev Interrupted

Realistic Product Roadmaps and Other Lies | Best Egg’s Johnny Ray Austin

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Importance of Direction Over Speed

Impact of Ambiguity and Clarity in Team Resilience

Building Resiliency Through Passion and Curiosity

Future Risks of AI and Data Integrity

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts