Build experience in a product team

From time to time, I interview talent for engineering or technology positions. No matter how many years they lay claim to on their resume, if they have not spent time working in a structured environment, it shows. Yes, the raw talent would shine through clearly, but something about them screams, ‘Not worked within an organized team.’ It signals the presence of some potential gaps in the engineer’s ability to fit in the team or signals a gap in the actual work experience.

Technology decisions are resource decisions

If you’ve been around the block in the world of engineering and technology projects, you have undoubtedly gone through phases of those projects where you obsessed over the best choice of technology stack. These decisions range from choosing the right operating system, programming language or framework, database, etc. If you are very good at your job, you probably would have employed a more scientific approach, like a decision matrix that helps capture the specific benefits of each option, so it is obvious how the decision is arrived at. Yet, even in our most scientific endeavors, there is always an element of bias. Whether it’s a fondness for the familiar or a devotion to the tech ‘cult’ we proudly belong to.

Local talent drain

I have been leading engineering and technology teams for almost two decades, and the industry’s biggest challenge when it comes to engineering and technology talent is losing them to managerial roles (which don’t allow them to continue to improve their skills or practice their craft) or, even worse, to non-engineering/technology roles.

Imagine working with a brilliant and creative software engineer, honing their skills. Five years later, they discover that those they started their careers with and have chosen to go to sales or business development have grown faster or are now earning more and have better opportunities.