Day 15: Changing the Way Problems Are Solved
Be Better Engineering Leader, a 30 Days Series
This is the third week of a series of daily lessons on how to Be a Better Engineering Leader. I recommend spending up to an hour on each lesson to gain insights into Product, Technology, and People—areas critical for every Engineering Manager.
A successful engineering team is not just about achieving technical excellence with on-demand releases, test automation, and feature flags.
While continuous delivery is critical, it’s not the end goal. It defines the throughput of our software production line but doesn’t determine how effectively we’re solving customer problems.
Once we’ve mastered efficient delivery, it's time to shift focus to transforming the way we solve problems. As highlighted in Marty Cagan’s book “Transformed”, this involves moving beyond feature factory thinking to a more customer-centric approach. Here are practical ways to drive this transformation:
Understand Requirements as Hypotheses
Every "requirement" you receive is likely an assumption. Treat it as a hypothesis to be validated, not a fixed mandate. Focus on collecting data post-launch to assess its real value. Adjust your mindset: a product roadmap is just a prioritized list of bets.Build Credibility with Stakeholders
Establish trust by demonstrating that your team is not merely a delivery engine. Share valuable insights and propose innovative solutions. Encourage stakeholders to bring you problems to solve rather than just tasks to complete.Partner with the Product Organization
Instead of pointing out flaws in the product roadmap or technical constraints, collaborate actively to find better solutions. Discuss potential approaches using your technical expertise and align on shared goals.Reframe Tasks to Discover Root Causes
Dig deeper into the intent behind each task. Use frameworks like the "Five Whys" or the Problem-Solving Framework to uncover the real issues, identify the true stakeholders, and assess their willingness to address these problems.Translate Technical Issues into Business Value
When faced with technical debt or infrastructure challenges, frame them in terms of business impact. How do they affect customer experience, delivery speed, or scalability? Present these issues alongside feature work, emphasizing their relevance to business outcomes.Engage in the Discovery Process
Participate actively in product discovery. Use your technical knowledge to validate ideas quickly and efficiently, reducing time to market. Employ techniques like MVPs, Proof of Concepts, or Prototypes to test ideas at a fraction of the cost and time required for full-scale implementations.
By embracing these practices, your team can help shift the organization towards a more effective Product Operating Model.
Action Points
Evaluate Your Role in Product Discovery
Reflect on your involvement in product discovery. Schedule a meeting with your product counterparts this week to discuss how you can contribute earlier in the process, influencing the way problems are framed and solved.Reframe Your Current Tasks
Look at your backlog and treat each task as a hypothesis. Reframe these tasks using your engineering insights. Engage your team and stakeholders in a discussion about potential underlying issues or better approaches to solving the identified problems.Showcase Technical Problems as Business Challenges
Use your existing telemetry and monitoring tools to highlight technical issues that impact business outcomes. Create a brief report that connects these problems to customer experience, delivery efficiency, or costs. Present it to the product team to help prioritize technical work effectively.
Additional Resources:
Premium Article: The Role of Engineering in Product Model Transformation - Part 2 Changing the Way Problems Are Solved
Cheat Sheet PDF: Download Here
Book: Transformed by Marty Cagan
Blog Post: The Role of Engineering in Product Transformation
Transform the way your team contributes to solving customer problems today!
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