What Engineering Leaders Can Expect In 2024 | Predictions from Ori Keren
Nov 28, 2023
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Ori Keren, LinearB co-founder and CEO, predicts trends for engineering leaders in 2024. They discuss dev team metrics, the term 'engineering efficiency' vs 'developer productivity', rise of gen AI written code, remote work friction points, and the importance of adopting a metrics program.
Engineering leaders must adopt metrics programs to justify resource allocation and achieve organizational goals.
The use of AI tools in software development is increasing, but overreliance on AI-generated code may hinder innovation and creativity.
Deep dives
The Trend of Engineering Efficiency and Developer Productivity
Engineering efficiency and developer productivity are expected to remain important trends in the software development field. Companies are increasingly recognizing the value of measuring and improving these metrics. The trend of building custom solutions for measuring developer productivity is declining, with more companies opting for existing solutions. CFOs are playing a significant role in decision-making for technology investments, making it crucial for engineering leaders to have robust metrics programs to justify resource allocation. The ability to control data and narrative around engineering efficiency is vital for successful outcomes. Engineering leaders must utilize data-driven conversations to convince CFOs and achieve organizational goals.
The Influence of Developer Experience and AI Tools
Developer experience and the use of AI tools are becoming increasingly important in software development. Organizations are realizing the significance of creating a positive developer experience by providing internal developer portals and improving key metrics like merge frequency and code review turnaround time. AI tools are expected to have a greater impact in the coming years. Automated code generation through JNI (Just-Not-Implemented) is predicted to increase, necessitating the need for developers skilled in reading code to review and approve it. However, the overreliance on AI-generated code may hinder innovation and lead to a decrease in creativity within the industry.
Challenges and Solutions in Remote Work and Resource Allocation
Remote work poses challenges for engineering teams, particularly in collaboration and code review processes. Companies that operate within the same time zone tend to have better collaboration and faster code reviews. Therefore, organizations need to establish strategies for remote work, such as hybrid models or time zone alignment, to enhance productivity. Resource allocation and automation are crucial for effective engineering management. Allocating resources based on data-driven metrics and automating workflows can optimize productivity and address challenges like long CI times and code review delays.
The Importance of Small PRs and Predictable Delivery
Breaking down work into small pull requests, maintaining a high merge frequency, and reducing code review turnaround time are key factors for achieving predictable and high-quality software delivery. High merge frequency improves developer satisfaction and enables efficient task completion. Team leads and engineering leaders should focus on creating small PRs, automating the code review process, and reducing handoffs to achieve faster code deployment and better response to potential issues. Balancing the quality and speed of code reviews is crucial for successful software delivery.
What trends do engineering leaders need to pay attention to, and how will they impact your teams in 2024?
This week, co-host Conor Bronsdon is joined by LinearB co-founder and CEO Ori Keren to discuss his predictions for next year.
Together they discuss why dev team metrics are here to stay, why Ori doesn’t like the term ‘developer productivity’ [hint: he prefers ‘engineering efficiency’], how the rise of gen AI written code will create a problem for development pipelines everywhere, and the potential friction points inherent to remote work.
Ori concludes the episode by offering advice to engineering leaders and startup founders on the need to adopt a metrics program or risk getting left behind.