Perspectives on technology and engineering leadership.
Opinions, analysis, and insights from the field. On building software, leading teams, and making technical decisions that matter.
What Do I Slow Down For You?
Six words that replace every uncomfortable capacity conversation. Not "no," not a lecture on velocity — just a question that makes the trade-off visible and puts the decision where it belongs.
The Research Paper That Explained 5 Years of Unease
Five years at a startup that looked right on paper. The mission was real, the people were talented, and yet something was off. Ron Westrum's research on organisational culture finally gave it a name.
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The Archive
Mini-teams of Three: Building Capacity for Real Ownership
The pair model solved the ownership problem. It didn't solve the resilience problem. For that, you need one more person — and what emerges is more interesting than just availability.
Mini-teams of 2: Where Leadership Emerges
Pairing changes who holds context, who makes decisions, and who feels responsible. But it also reveals something you can't see in a ticket-based model: who your leaders actually are.
Contractor Swarms: Why It Works (Until It Doesn't)
The dispatch model works brilliantly at 5 to 8 engineers. But past that point, the seams start to show. Here's how to recognise the inflection point and what comes next.