Training & Mentorship

Creating a Useful Product Vision

A product vision is an important part of a company strategy that serves as a North Star for the product organization, motivating them to create a compelling product that solves customer problems. It should not be confused with the company mission or product roadmap. It is important to create a product vision when teams need to be aligned in a common direction. It is worth the investment to create a product vision that is short and straightforward, and everyone should understand the purpose behind it.

Building Communities of Practice

This article discusses the problem of communication breakdown as a company grows, and the actions taken to address it. A Community of Practice was created to connect people working on similar problems, and Confluence was used as a tool to enhance collaboration. The concept spread to other departments, and people grouped around different niches in the software development department. The article also highlights the importance of having a community lead to fuel enthusiasm, and the need to create a safe environment for people to share their presentations.

Proactively Minimizing the Burden of Technical Support on Your Organization

A team had three full-time engineers dealing with support issues, but the process was costly and not beneficial to the business. After conducting surveys and analyzing data, it was determined that the delivery time was four days longer and the cancellation rate was 50% higher on orders with reported issues. To address this, an automated ticket routing system was implemented which reduced the burden on the centralized rotation and increased accountability of individual teams. After introducing the new process, the number of tickets dropped from 400 to 50 over six months. The lessons learned from this experience were that great ideas can come from anywhere in the organization, don't sit idle when you see a problem, and problems are more likely to be dealt with when there is accountability.

Working Effectively In a Remote Environment

This article outlines the best practices that were adopted to ensure business continuity during the Covid-19 pandemic. These practices included fostering a self-service mindset, promoting asynchronous communication, and providing clear communication guidelines. These measures allowed for streamlined onboarding, improved meeting efficiency, and reduced distractions. As we continue to adapt to the remote-first era, these best practices will be essential in charting our path forward.

Expert Antidote to Repair a Toxic Culture

A mentor was helping a fresh graduate transition from college to professional life. The mentor took notes on the issues the mentee was facing and identified the core problem as a lack of a mentor or coach to guide her. The mentor then provided advice on how to align expectations with her manager, invest in learning, and provide effective feedback. In the end, the mentee was able to gain credibility and set herself up for professional success. The mentor learned the importance of listening and paying attention to detail, educating mentees on providing effective feedback, and helping them maintain professional boundaries.

How to Overcome a Sense of Worthlessness

Many first-time managers are overwhelmed and have difficulty adjusting to their new roles. Companies often do not provide adequate training for engineers transitioning to management roles, leaving them feeling lost and without a sense of self-worth. It is important to ask yourself if you really want to become a manager and to understand the differences between managing people and managing code. Companies should provide training and support to help engineers make the transition to management, and managers should focus on the success of their team as their measure of productivity.