LeadDev's PriorityZero

Allison Malloy, Director of Engineering at Shopify, shares her fascinating journey from aspiring astronaut to tech leader. She discusses the unexpected challenges of transitioning to management and the necessity of letting go when overseeing other managers. Remote team dynamics take center stage as she highlights the importance of communication and trust. Additionally, Allison dives into Shopify's mission of unifying services and enhancing team capabilities, all while ensuring that major project goals are appropriately set for future advancements.

Camille Fournier, author of 'The Manager's Path', shares her remarkable journey in software engineering and leadership. She discusses the critical balance between passion and profit in tech careers. Camille contrasts management in startups and larger companies, highlighting key leadership qualities. She reflects on the legacy of her influential book and dives into her current focus on platform engineering. Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of effective offboarding for executives, advocating for sustainable leadership practices.

Anil Dash, VP of Developer Experience at Fastly and former collaborator with Joel Spolsky, dives into the changing landscape of software communities. He shares his journey from hobbyist to professional developer and laments the decline of personal connections in tech. The conversation highlights the evolution of developer tools and the vital role of collaboration and passion. Anil also discusses the need for accessible tools and emphasizes the importance of community in driving innovation, drawing parallels with his work on Glitch.

Melissa DePuydt, Director of Engineering at Medium, shares her fascinating journey from journalism to tech. She opens up about grappling with imposter syndrome, offering insights on how storytelling can foster confidence. The conversation dives into her innovative 'Scrappy vs. Scale' management framework, highlighting the need for adaptability in leadership. Plus, Melissa reveals the unexpected lessons learned from horseback riding, emphasizing patience and communication in both riding and leadership.

Matt Boyle, an engineering manager at Cloudflare, joins the show to talk about joining the tech giant during the pandemic, how that influences his management style, and the vital importance of regular retrospectives. 06:00 The difference between working at big and small companies 09:00 The terrifying transition from IC to manager 15:00 The vital importance of retrospectives 18:00 Managing distributed teams and the importance of asynchronous work 21:00 Matt's Priority Zero: Ensuring high availability 24:00 The importance of continuous improvement after incidents Matt's recommendation: Acquired podcast

Dan Blundell, Engineering Director at Gymshark and a self-taught software engineer, shares his journey from musician to tech leader. He discusses vital lessons from his public sector experience, particularly on leadership during rapid change. Dan emphasizes the necessity of understanding business needs and hiring for cultural fit over technical prowess. He shares insights on scaling challenges in e-commerce and the importance of assessing team capacity and values, providing a glimpse into fostering effective leadership in a dynamic environment.

Director of Engineering at Trainline, Gary Stevens, joins the show to talk about the role of machine learning in the travel booking experience, the importance of engagement as an engineering leader, and mentoring vs coaching. 00:00 Gary's journey to director of engineering and learning from great managers 09:00 Coaching vs. mentoring 13:00 The importance of engagement in engineering and the importance of celebrating good work 21:00 Machine learning and the future of travel user experiences Gary's recommendation: The Hard Fork podcast

Alicia Collymore, Senior Engineering Manager at Incident.io, shares her journey from self-taught developer to leadership. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of transitioning from a tech lead to an engineering manager. Alicia emphasizes the importance of collaborative goal-setting, especially for engineers who are reluctant to engage. She also delves into the intricacies of managing a major Microsoft Teams integration project, highlighting user needs and effective project management strategies.

Rafe Colburn, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Depop joins the show to talk about his journey from a computer-loving kid to a seasoned engineering leader. We talked about the biggest lessons he learned from his time at Etsy, management by instinct, the dynamics between product and engineering teams, and his biggest priorities right now at Depop. 09:00 The evolution of engineering management and lessons from Etsy's engineering culture 15:00 Navigating product and engineering dynamics Rafe's recommendation: beliapp.com The James Stanier blog post we talked about: https://theengineeringmanager.substack.com/p/the-disappointment-frontier

Rob Zuber, CTO of CircleCI, shares his unconventional journey from manufacturing to tech leadership. He emphasizes the value of being scrappy and adapting continuously in the tech landscape. Rob discusses the importance of mentorship and the long-term impacts of decisions in the industry. He highlights his commitment to improving developer experience and simplifying systems at CircleCI. The conversation also touches on fostering a culture of growth and collaboration within engineering teams, balancing strategic planning with hands-on management.