Career Progression

Moving From Research To Production

This case study outlines the steps taken to help a company with advanced research to get the learnings from the research group embedded into real products. The consultant evaluated the situation and determined that the research had no real direction. The consultant then gave the researchers a limited scope with obvious value to the customers and clients of the company and worked with the executives to develop a product roadmap with specific dates. This drove people to work towards the end goal of shipping and was used to drive the research into products and get value from the investment. The lesson learned was that time-boxing projects creates value and forcing to have something shipped tends to align people, give people's roles meaning and delivers value to customers.

Redefining And Restructuring A Team

The author inherited a team of two Data Scientists and two Data Engineers, and faced a lot of tech debt and confusion between Data Engineering and Backend Engineering. After discussions with stakeholders and the team, the author wrote a list of systems and responsibilities and got agreement from partners. However, there was not much follow through, so the author had to hire Data Engineers and release the Backend engineers into the Backend organization. The author learned that the culture supported easy agreement but shallow follow-thru, and that it is a continual task to retrain and evangelize at all levels and across all departments.

If the Personality Fits: How a Company can Boost New Hires’ Potential

This article discusses the challenges of hiring software engineers in Brazil and the actions taken by a company to overcome them. The company allowed remote work, demanded responsibility, and introduced a program to help those who did not speak English. The lessons learned from this experience are to be flexible, understand strengths and weaknesses, and explain decisions and vision to those who share it.

Letting Go Of Half My Employees

The CEO of a company with around sixty to seventy people had to let go of half of their staff. To ensure everyone was in the loop, they set up a Google Hangout and presented the changes. They also spoke one-on-one with each individual affected by the changes. The CEO learned that clear communication is key in difficult situations, and was proud of how they handled the situation and communicated it to their employees.

When Your Senior Dev Doesn’t Meet Expectations

A new manager had certain expectations of their Senior Developer that weren't being met. Through learning from a management course, the manager realized that not everyone is the same and had to adjust their expectations. After having a heart-to-heart, the manager apologized for their behavior and reset their expectations. This led to a good relationship and the developer has been with the company for five years. The manager learned that different people require different management techniques and that everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

Firing A Popular But Underperforming Manager

A manager had been working at an organization for four years and was well-liked, but had received feedback that he avoided delivering bad news and having tough conversations. When a more senior person applied for a job, it became clear that the manager was underperforming. The CTO had to make the difficult decision to let him go, and had to explain the decision to the rest of the organization. It turned out to be the right decision, and the CTO learned the importance of having trust and accountability among peers.