Engineering leadership in growing companies is defined by the decisions that connect architecture to execution. I write about the systems that enable teams to deliver consistently, the tradeoffs that come with scaling, and how technical choices translate into outcomes based on what I’ve seen work in real environments.
Your First Engineering Hire Shouldn’t Be a CTO
When I joined a healthcare data SaaS company as their first senior technical hire, nobody called me the CTO. The CEO needed someone who could build the product, and that’s what I did. I reported directly to him, I wrote code, I designed the database, I directed a small, contracted engineering team, and I started…
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Designing Dependency Models Across Distributed Teams
Large technical programs succeed when the work across teams is intentionally connected. That connection shows up as dependencies – one team’s output becomes another team’s input – and managing those dependencies deliberately is what separates programs that deliver predictably from ones that constantly react. In distributed environments, with multiple teams, vendors, and time zones in…
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Most Program Failures Aren’t Schedule Failures — They’re Dependency Failures
When a large technical program begins to slip, the galvanizing statement is usually, “We’re behind schedule.” Milestones move. Forecasts change. Leadership demands more frequent reporting. In complex enterprise environments, the schedule is usually the most visible indicator of trouble, but it is rarely the original source of the problem. By the time delivery dates begin…
Keep readingI’m Writing Again
For the past couple of years, I haven’t written much publicly. That wasn’t accidental. My focus was on leading complex technical programs — platform migrations and integrations, post-acquisition system alignment, and large cross-functional initiatives where the margin for error is small and the stakes are high. Those kinds of programs demand attention. They also leave…
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15 quick tips on written communication for project leaders
As project managers and team leaders, effective communication is vitally important to provide instructions to team members, persuade stakeholders to take action, document decisions and requests, and provide informational updates. Here are some quick tips for those of you in a leadership role on project teams, program management, or any business leadership role, really. Bonus…
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