“Can you actually explain in clear terms how your company makes money? If you can't, that's a problem.”
In today's tech landscape where efficiency and productivity metrics are increasingly scrutinized, it isn't enough to just write good code. You need to demonstrate how your engineering investments contribute to the bottom line - especially if you've suddenly found yourself in management feeling overwhelmed by new business expectations.
Communicating the business impact of engineering investments is important for decision-making and stakeholder engagement – and ensuring your company knows you’re indispensable if they decide to have another round of layoffs.
In this episode, Lena and Amani explore how engineering leaders can effectively communicate their teams’ business value.
Our guest Amani brings wisdom gained from nearly 15 years of tech industry experience to share how engineering leaders can:
- Partner effectively with analysts and product managers to understand key business metrics
- Develop empathy for users to create truly impactful products
- Handle increased pressure to track and demonstrate progress
- Communicate engineering value clearly to stakeholders
- Adapt to management responsibilities when thrust into the role
Together, they explore practical strategies for engineering leaders to understand, measure, and articulate their team's business impact in an environment of constant change.
___
Full episode transcript link.
___
Resources
- Founders Network: Startup Metrics 101: What to Track and Why It Matters
- Lena published a Series on Productivity, with articles such as:
- Engineering Metrics Guide for Leaders
___
Why this podcast exists
I make this podcast as a space for honest conversations about the hard parts of leadership that most leaders only dare to talk about behind closed doors—after all, we're supposed to be “in charge”, and “on top of things" at all times. But from my close work with dozens of leaders every week, I know that more leaders than you may think are struggling with topics like self-confidence, imposter syndrome, unclear expectations, or difficult bosses. This podcast is where we talk about it.
About your host
I’m Lena Reinhard (she/they), a fractional VP Engineering, leadership coach, mentor, and facilitator. Having served as an engineering executive with companies like CircleCI and Travis CI, and as a SaaS startup co-founder & CEO, I have dedicated my career to helping fast-paced organizations across the
Popular Podcasts
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.