/Leadership

Drowning In Feedback

- Ed Batista tl;dr: “A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it.” Ed discusses the challenges leaders face in an era saturated with feedback and emphasizes the pitfalls of information overload. He critiques common organizational beliefs, such as "feedback is a gift" and the objectivity of anonymous feedback. Ed encourages leaders to self-reflect, manage their attention, and prioritize meaningful insights over sheer data volume. Ed advises leaders to create an "information ecosystem" that filters out noise, allocate dedicated time for deep reflection, and regularly assess the quality and relevance of feedback sources.

featured in #453

How To Hire

- Sam Altman tl;dr: “The vast majority of founders don’t spend nearly enough time hiring.  After you figure out your vision and get product-market fit, you should probably be spending between a third and a half of your time hiring.  It sounds crazy, and there will always be a ton of other work, but it’s the highest-leverage thing you can do, and great companies always, always have great people.” Sam provides his hiring playbook.

featured in #453

The Musk Algorithm

- David Heinemeier Hansson tl;dr: DHH highlights Musk's unique "algorithm" for success, which includes the following in order: questioning every requirement, deleting unnecessary parts or processes, simplifying, optimizing, accelerating cycle time, and finally, automating. While acknowledging Musk's controversial nature, DHH emphasizes the value of extracting wisdom from such figures without feeling compelled to emulate them entirely.

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Solving The Engineering Strategy Crisis

- Will Larson tl;dr: Will argues that many companies lack a coherent engineering strategy, leading to inefficiencies and frustrations among team members. An effective engineering strategy consists of two core components: (1) "Honest diagnosis that engages with the reality your organization’s current needs and challenges." (2) "Practical approach to move forward while addressing the circumstances raised in the diagnosis." Written strategies are more effective than implicit ones, allowing for feedback, updates, and accountability. Will provides insights into how individuals can drive strategy from both top-down and bottom-up approaches.

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How Many Direct Reports Should A Manager Have?

- James Stanier tl;dr: James explores the concept of "span of control," which refers to the number of direct reports a manager oversees. He argues that there's no one-size-fits-all answer, but suggests that around 8 direct reports could be a "sweet spot." Factors affecting the optimal number include practical limits, the seniority of the manager, the experience level of the reports, the manager's individual contributions, and the type of work the team does. An organization's span of control needs to be managed carefully, especially during economic downturns, to avoid negative outcomes like layoffs or role changes.

featured in #451

Elevate Your Performance Review Conversations With These 12 Expert Tips

tl;dr: (1) Hone your narrative with a personal press release. (2) Managers try this template to structure your next review conversation. (3) Zoom out to get a fuller picture. (4) Spend more time than you think you need to with your high performers. (5) Differentiate between interpersonal and performance feedback. (6) Ask this question to give feedback that lands - “Does this feedback resonate with you? Why or why not?”

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Currencies (On Motivating Different People)

- Ed Batista tl;dr: Ed dicusses conventional approaches to motivation, referred to as "kicks in the ass" or KITA. These can be both negative (i.e. criticism) or positive (i.e. rewards). While rewards might induce “movement” or compliance, they don't necessarily equate to genuine motivation e.g. increasing compensation. Leadership experts introduce the concept of "currencies" as resources that can be exchanged to “gain influence.” Examples of these currencies include inspiration-related ones like "Vision" and "Values," task-related ones such as "Resources" and "Challenge," and personal ones like "Gratitude" and "Comfort." Ed emphasizes that while these currencies can be powerful tools, it's essential to discern if they lead to compliance or deeper commitment.

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4 Engineering Slides CEOs Love

tl;dr: The article shows the layout of four key slides, designed for an audience of non-engineering CEOs, presenting: (1) Overall Health Update - Snapshot of the team's production pipeline, efficiency, and developer experience compared to industry benchmarks. (2) Engineering Investment Strategy - Impact and execution health of ongoing projects, guiding resource allocation decisions. (3) Engineering Investment Updates - Highlights key project investments, detailing headcount, budget, business impact, and execution scores. (4) Engineering Health Update - Review of engineering metrics related to operational stability and bug tracking.

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Engineering Unblocked — Interviews With Leaders From Grammarly, Stripe, Webflow And More

tl;dr: A lot of academic research has gone into software engineering productivity. But unblocking organizations and teams in practice takes much more than theoretical knowledge. That’s why Engineering Unblocked brings you interviews with software leaders who have first-hand experience in navigating the challenges of scale, complexity, and growth.

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On Sizing Your Engineering Organizations

- Kellan Elliot-McCrea tl;dr: Kellan discusses the intricacies of determining optimal team sizes in organizations. He emphasizes that growth should address specific challenges not just increase numbers. Effective software development is best achieved by small, focused teams, which serve as units of concurrency. As teams expand, upgraded organizational infrastructure becomes essential. Kellan highlights the impacts of turnover, plan changes, and onboarding processes and suggests that a clear goal-setting approach, rather than arbitrary growth, leads to better outcomes.

featured in #446