The Business of Laravel

Continuous Deployment and Continuous People Growth | Greg Skerman, DoT at iseekplant

Aug 6, 2024

In this discussion, Greg Skerman, the Director of Technology at iSeekplant, shares his insights on the unique challenges in tech leadership within the construction industry. He highlights the balance of scaling technology alongside nurturing people, emphasizing soft skills and open-mindedness. Greg discusses the advantages of frequent deployments for risk mitigation and staff retention. He also offers advice for future leaders, stressing community engagement and mentorship as key to professional growth.

46:11

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Episode guests

Greg Skerman

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Quick takeaways

Greg Skerman emphasizes the importance of scaling both technology and people through continuous deployment and fostering an engineering culture of shared responsibility.

He advocates for community engagement and mentorship as essential elements for professional growth, encouraging tech professionals to connect and learn from experienced peers.

Deep dives

Overview of IC Plan and Laravel's Role

IC Plan operates as Australia's largest online construction marketplace, with a focus on leveraging Laravel for its development needs. The company's director of technology, Greg Skurman, emphasizes the significance of Laravel's simplicity and efficiency, which allows the team to focus on delivering valuable business outcomes rather than dealing with the complexities of technical implementation. This streamlined approach not only facilitates development but also helps in managing a large, intricate legacy database while gradually rewriting components in Laravel. Ultimately, using Laravel empowers the team to innovate and solve real business problems rather than getting bogged down in routine technical challenges.

Intro

2min

Exploring Brisbane: A Growing Hub in Australia

3min

Navigating Tech Leadership and Architecture

26min

Navigating A/B Testing and Leadership Growth

11min

Community Support and Networking Opportunities in the Industry

2min

The Intricacies of Valuing Creative Work versus Financial Gain

2min

In this episode of the Business of Laravel podcast, Matt Stauffer interviews Greg Skerman, Director of Technology at iSeekplant, Australia’s leading online construction marketplace. They discuss Greg’s role, the benefits and challenges of a service-oriented architecture, and working with non-technical stakeholders. Greg emphasizes the importance of scaling people alongside technology, the value of experimentation, and the ability to swiftly revert changes. He highlights the advantages of frequent deployments, such as risk mitigation and quicker rollbacks, and their positive impact on staff retention. Greg also offers advice for aspiring leaders, stressing the importance of soft skills, openness to different approaches, and engaging with the community and mentors for career growth.