Engineering tools as a way for learning and leadership

In a technology company, engineering tools are crucial to creating platforms that can be used again and again in a platform mindset, which saves resources and increases the organization’s efficiency. The impact of good tools extends to establishing a learning and growth culture within the company and nurturing technical excellence. 

The standardization of tools is, in fact, essential if engineers who have progressed through the technical arm of the Y-career path are to be able to exercise their leadership fully and assertively, working directly on the code, rather than just drawing on a whiteboard.

When engineers reach the status of Staff+, they understand a lot about their system already and can start working on issues involving various areas of the company. Their role is to define architectural standards and come up with ideas for structuring projects, the execution of which could be delegated to more junior developers. The Staff+ engineer is then responsible for mentoring these developers and should spend the best part of their time reviewing the code.

When someone is recruited externally, the uniformity of the tools means that they will be able to get acquainted with the company more quickly after being hired, having the ability to intervene promptly in different areas. Someone arriving at a new company in a leadership role has a lot to learn, and a standardized engineering foundation will make this adaptation much easier.

There is more than one path for individual contributors in an organization. This path can be more specific  — such as someone who selects a complex piece of the business and becomes an expert in it, spending most of their time writing and reviewing code — or it can be wider, such as the role of an architect, who gives direction, integrates teams, and makes things work.  

Without standardized engineering tools, companies tend to have too many architects and relegate coding to very junior employees. It’s positive for a company to keep a large number of senior developers who, even at high levels of leadership, have a day-to-day hands-on job on coding, instead of working attached to the drawing board. In this scenario, they can deal with much more complicated code and give directions to the junior developers.

Professionals should continue writing code throughout their careers, even as they venture into different areas of the company, and this is only possible when there are engineering tools that facilitate this movement.

An organization can have so-called software architects who only do a little programming. These professionals are thinking about new technologies, focused on H3, the longer-term horizon. They have the macro vision and the temperament to conduct relevant meetings, convince the company’s top management of the technology area’s needs, and speak publicly on behalf of the company. The point is that a company needs a very small number of professionals of this type.

Thus, the existence and daily use of standardized tools are key factors in the effectiveness of the Y-career path in developing technical experts at the top levels of leadership who actually engage with the code and preserve its quality.

When someone is recruited externally, the uniformity of the tools means that they will be able to get acquainted with the company more quickly after being hired, having the ability to intervene promptly in different areas.