Continuous Deployment and Continuous People Growth | Greg Skerman, DoT at iseekplant
Aug 6, 2024
auto_awesome
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.
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.
Leadership Structure and Team Dynamics
Greg Skurman describes his management approach as relatively hands-off, providing guidance while allowing skilled team members autonomy in their roles. His transition from a technical contributor to a leadership position involved learning to lead effectively without micromanaging, fostering a strong engineering culture where responsibility is shared. This management style promotes open communication and encourages team members to express their ideas while ensuring the overall direction aligns with business goals. The trust placed in the team fosters accountability and collaboration, leading to successful project outcomes even as the team grows.
Technical Strategies for Scaling and Deployment
IC Plan employs a service-oriented architecture, with monolithic applications isolated by business functions to ease the scaling of teams and facilitate experimentation. Greg points out that this structure allows for growth without team members stepping on each other's toes, encouraging an environment where independent work can thrive. The team practices continuous deployment, managing to deploy code up to twenty times a day, which mitigates deployment risks and enables rapid responsive changes. This fast-paced deployment rhythm is backed by effective rollback mechanisms and emphasizes the competitive advantage of agility in the development process.
The Importance of Community and Continuous Learning
Greg highlights the value of community engagement in the tech industry, suggesting that building connections and seeking mentorship can greatly enhance a professional's growth. He encourages individuals to reach out and learn from those who have achieved success, which can provide valuable insights and diverse perspectives. This approach not only enriches personal development but also fosters a culture of sharing knowledge within the Laravel ecosystem. By actively participating in community events and discussions, individuals can access a wealth of information that can guide them on their career journeys and promote leadership skills.
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.