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Achievers Farhan Thawar, VP Engineering January 23rd, 2013 @ fnthawar @ xtremelabs. 300 -> 436 Members. meetup.com/ achieverstech achievers.com/tech. The world ’ s top brands partner with us to prototype and develop outstanding mobile, tablet and smart TV experiences. @ fnthawar - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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AchieversFarhan Thawar, VP Engineering
January 23rd, 2013@fnthawar @xtremelabs
300 -> 436 Members
meetup.com/achieverstech
achievers.com/tech
The world’s top brands partner with us to
prototype and develop outstanding mobile, tablet and smart TV
experiences@fnthawar@xtremelabs
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Background• Waterloo Comp Sci/Elec Eng• U of T MBA – Financial Engineering• Trilogy• Celestica• Microsoft• Achievers (!)
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Agenda
• Freedom vs. Frameworks• How to work• Career advice
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Disclaimer
Source: The Black Swan@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Freedom vs. Frameworks• But first, a story…..
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
• ROWE
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Multitasking is a fail
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Parkinson’s Law rules
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
• Daily standups (company, platform, team)
• Pivotal tracker• DL
Agile
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Ship every week
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Map• Mastery
–pairing• Autonomy
–No micro managing• Purpose
–Working on stuff being used by millions of people
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Physical Space• In-office vs. WFH
–Breakfast hacks• Sit close together vs. offices (Joel and 37Signals)
• Great machines + fast internet• Location
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
4a) Means as: Formulation vs. Implementation
Rank & File• Implement decisions• Arms and legs• Work in hierarchy• Get “bought-in”• Get controlled
Leaders• Formulate decisions• Brain• Head up hierarchy• Sell to get “buy-in”• Create control procedures
Lower-order
Choices
Higher-order
Choices
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Freedom vs. Frameworks
• Flat hierarchy–Well not that flat now…..but, few approvals
• Responsibility not accountability–“Accountability is what’s left once responsibility has been subtracted” – Pasi Sahlberg
–“Tight controls cause blowups” – Nasim Taleb
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Freedom vs. Frameworks
• Approvals– “You should feel the dangers and stressors” – Nasim Taleb
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
How to work
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
At a high level• “Managers create work for each other” – Tim Burns
• No Policies (rework)• 1:1’s• Faster to talk to someone than email/phone/IM
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Socials• Wed social• 3:3 lunches• Friday social• Team events
–Batman!• Interns
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Pairing (2:1 Ratio)• Agile everything• Pairing all the time
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
• “Being busy is a form of laziness”
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
1. Consider options and make decision, informing other party subsequently
2. Provide options to other party along with own recommendation on choice
3. Generate options for other party and ask other party to make choice
4. Describe a problem to other party and ask for specific help in structuring it
5. Ask other party to solve problem, but make it clear you will watch and learn for next time
6. Drop problem on other party’s desk and signal helplessness
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Responsibility Ladder
• Democracy vs. dooacracy or decisions over deliberation
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
How to Work• Remove processes
–“Let process be implemented by those who practice it” – Yishan Wong, first Facebook Eng Manager
• The great decider!• Fight fires/sales calls/unblock engineers (or anyone else)
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Career Advice
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Career Imprinting• “Where you work early in your career shapes the kind of leader you become later on” - HBR
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Deep over broad
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Strengths over Weaknesses
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Smart over dumb
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Low-information diet• Stop reading temporal information (HBR still relevant)
• Reading hierarchy
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Air traffic control• I know less than you do
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Does it work?
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20120
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Full Time Employees
Span of control• Average is 8• 150 engineers
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Stats• Can hire 60+ coops from Waterloo in first round (get more resumes than FB, MSFT, Twitter, Apple, Square, Yelp, Foursquare)
• Low attrition• Always outrun other teams• Less hero syndrome• More female engineers (17%)• Happy people
@fnthawar@xtremelabs
Quotes• “You guys are doing something amazing” – Fred Wilson
• “I’ve never seen this before in the valley” – Yogen Dalal
• “Uh… wow?” – Brad Feld
@fnthawar@xtremelabs