Engineering with Empathy — How to Lead Align and Grow

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir is joined by Jonathan Myron, VP of Engineering at Healthie, to dive into what it really takes to lead engineering teams inside startups. From aligning with founders' visions to building engineering cultures that thrive on autonomy and creativity, Jonathan shares hard-won lessons for engineers stepping into leadership. Whether you're building early-stage or scaling through growth, this episode delivers practical insights on driving value, developing team culture, and shaping your career path.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Start with empathy for the founder’s vision. Engineering leaders must deeply understand why a company was started to effectively implement and scale that vision.

Leadership is a behavior, not a title. Taking ownership, solving problems, and filling gaps earns trust and influence, especially in startup environments.

Engineering culture thrives on transparency and purpose. Aligning product goals with team values keeps engineers motivated and connected to impact.

Metrics are a story, not a scoreboard. Use developer experience surveys and team feedback—not just velocity or failure rate—to shape team performance meaningfully.

⏱ Timestamped Highlights:

00:00 – Intro to Jonathan and the theme: working with founders in startups

01:48 – Why understanding the founder’s origin story matters for engineering leadership

03:00 – Sussing out alignment during interviews with startup founders

04:15 – Translating founder vision into engineering execution and culture

05:19 – The role of metrics and surveys (like Westrom) in measuring alignment and team health

06:49 – Why engineering is both a scientific and creative pursuit

08:26 – Bridging founder imprint and engineering culture with empathy and clarity

09:53 – Common traits of successful founders and how engineers can support them

11:58 – Driving value by solving problems without waiting for instruction

13:25 – Advice: “Put aside ego. Real leaders don't need titles.”

15:08 – Thriving in ambiguous, high-impact startup environments

16:54 – How to reach Jonathan on LinkedIn for career advice

💬 Standout Quote:

“Leadership is when somebody is a leader, everybody knows it—and you don't need a title for that.” – Jonathan Myron