Dev Interrupted Ditch the Ticket Factory Mentality | Cosmic Teacups’ Thanos Diacakis
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Mar 25, 2025 Thanos Diacakis, a seasoned fractional CTO and engineering coach with over 25 years at companies like Uber, shares insights on optimizing engineering teams. He debunks the myth of 'technical debt' and critiques the 'feature factory' mentality. Thanos discusses practical strategies for improving team dynamics, aligning technical challenges with business goals, and fostering a culture of happiness in engineering. He emphasizes the need for sustainable practices and adapting to the shifts caused by AI in the tech landscape.
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Engineering is More Than Features
- Common mental model: Leaders view engineering as a feature factory, overlooking crucial tasks.
- Engineering involves fixing bugs, investing in tools and processes, and managing risks, not just features.
Explain Engineering with Examples
- Use real-world examples to explain engineering work to non-technical leaders.
- Show them how "shortcuts" like skipping testing create more problems long-term.
Engineers' Role in the Problem
- Engineers contribute to the "feature factory" problem by accepting unreasonable requests.
- Just like bridge builders wouldn't compromise safety, engineers shouldn't ship untested code.