An Elegant Puzzle

1. Organizational design is the foundation of scalable engineering management

Organizational design is the attempt to understand why some create such energy and others create mostly heat: friction, frustration, and politics.

Optimal team structure. Engineering teams should ideally consist of 6-8 members during steady state. This size allows for effective collaboration while providing enough capacity to handle on-call rotations and maintain productivity. When forming new teams, grow an existing team to 8-10 members, then split it into two teams of 4-5 each. This approach ensures that new teams have a solid foundation and shared context.

Managerial span of control. Managers should typically support 6-8 engineers, while managers-of-managers should oversee 4-6 managers. This structure allows for active coaching, coordination, and strategic planning at each level. As organizations grow, it's crucial to maintain these ratios to prevent managers from becoming overwhelmed or disconnected from their teams' work.

2. Effective managers balance team size and performance metrics

Metrics are useful for narrowing the solution space that you explore in order to accomplish your investment goals.

Define clear goals. Establish well-structured goals that include a target, baseline, trend, and time frame. This approach provides context and allows stakeholders to evaluate progress effectively. For example: "In Q3, we will reduce time to render our frontpage from 600ms (p95) to 300ms (p95). In Q2, render time increased from 500ms to 600ms."

Balance investment and baseline metrics. Pair investment goals (improvements you want to make) with baseline metrics (current performance you want to maintain). This ensures that teams don't sacrifice long-term stability for short-term gains. For instance, while working to improve page load times, maintain a baseline metric for infrastructure costs to prevent unsustainable optimizations.

3. Implement systematic approaches to hiring and career development

Migrations are both essential and frustratingly frequent as your codebase ages and your business grows: most tools and processes only support about one order of magnitude of growth before becoming ineffective.

Structured hiring process. Develop a comprehensive hiring funnel that includes sourcing candidates, motivating them to apply, evaluating their skills, and closing offers. Instrument each stage of the process to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement. Regularly review and optimize your hiring funnel metrics to ensure you're attracting and selecting the best candidates efficiently.

Career ladders and performance management. Create clear career ladders that outline expectations for each role and level within your organization. Implement a consistent performance management system that includes self-reviews, peer feedback, and manager evaluations. Conduct regular calibration sessions to ensure fair and consistent performance designations across teams and departments.

4. Foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement

The best learning doesn't always come directly from your manager, and one of the most important things a first team does is provide a community of learning.

Encourage knowledge sharing. Organize regular learning sessions, such as paper reading groups or tech talks, where team members can discuss new ideas and technologies. Create a culture where individuals are encouraged to share their expertise and learn from others' experiences.

Invest in personal growth. Support your team members' professional development by:

• Providing dedicated time for learning and experimentation
• Offering training budgets for conferences, courses, or certifications
• Encouraging participation in open-source projects or internal hackathons
• Implementing a mentorship program to facilitate knowledge transfer

5. Develop a toolkit for navigating change and solving complex problems

Systems thinking has been the most effective universal tool for reasoning through complex problems.

Systems thinking approach. Adopt systems thinking to analyze and solve complex organizational challenges. This involves:

• Identifying key components and their interactions
• Recognizing feedback loops and delays in the system
• Considering both short-term and long-term consequences of decisions

Change management strategies. Develop a toolkit for implementing and managing change within your organization:

• Clearly communicate the reasons for change and expected outcomes
• Involve key stakeholders in the planning process
• Provide necessary resources and support during transitions
• Monitor progress and adjust plans as needed

6. Create an inclusive environment through opportunity and membership

An inclusive organization is one in which individuals have access to opportunity and membership.

Equal access to opportunities. Implement structured processes for assigning important projects and roles to ensure fair access to growth opportunities. Use a transparent selection process that allows team members to apply for leadership positions and challenging assignments.

Foster a sense of belonging. Create an inclusive environment by:

• Organizing regular team events and social activities
• Supporting employee resource groups (ERGs) for underrepresented communities
• Conducting regular skip-level one-on-ones to gather feedback and address concerns
• Celebrating diverse perspectives and contributions within the team

7. Master the art of communication and strategic decision-making

A good vision is composed of: Vision statement, Value proposition, Capabilities, Solved constraints, Future constraints, Reference materials, Narrative.

Effective communication. Develop strong communication skills to articulate your vision, strategy, and decisions clearly:

• Craft concise and compelling vision statements
• Use data-driven narratives to support your proposals
• Tailor your message to different audiences (executives, peers, team members)

Strategic decision-making. Improve your decision-making process by:

• Gathering relevant data and considering multiple perspectives
• Analyzing potential trade-offs and long-term consequences
• Aligning decisions with organizational goals and values
• Communicating the rationale behind decisions transparently

8. Embrace systems thinking to address organizational challenges

The most effective way to provide opportunity to the members of your organization is through the structured application of good process.

Process design. Develop and implement effective processes that scale with your organization:

• Sprint planning and execution
• Roadmap development and stakeholder alignment
• Operational metrics tracking and analysis
• Regular team and cross-functional meetings

Continuous improvement. Regularly review and optimize your processes:

• Collect feedback from team members and stakeholders
• Analyze process effectiveness using relevant metrics
• Experiment with new approaches and tools
• Share learnings and best practices across the organization

9. Cultivate strong relationships and empower your team

Strong relationships > any problem

Build trust. Invest time in building strong relationships with your team members, peers, and stakeholders:

• Schedule regular one-on-ones and team-building activities
• Practice active listening and empathy
• Follow through on commitments and be transparent about challenges

Empower your team. Create an environment where team members feel empowered to make decisions and take ownership of their work:

• Delegate responsibilities and provide necessary resources
• Encourage experimentation and learning from failures
• Recognize and celebrate individual and team achievements
• Provide constructive feedback and support for growth

10. Balance technical expertise with people management skills

Management is an ethical profession, and our decisions matter, especially the hard ones.

Technical leadership. Maintain your technical skills to effectively guide and support your team:

• Stay informed about relevant technologies and industry trends
• Participate in architecture discussions and code reviews
• Contribute to technical decision-making and problem-solving

People management. Develop strong people management skills to nurture and grow your team:

• Practice effective coaching and mentoring techniques
• Address conflicts and performance issues promptly and fairly
• Create opportunities for skill development and career growth
• Balance individual needs with team and organizational goals

Last updated: January 24, 2025