Fast, informed, impactful: How to master decision-making

Master the art of efficient decision-making and turn slow, ineffective engineering decisions into a powerful competitive advantage.

Every day, engineers face choices that can make or break projects. Yet, decision-making is often slow, painful, and ineffective. I’ve interviewed over 50 tech professionals to uncover why—and how to fix it. Scaling engineering teams struggle with overly complicated or non-existent decision processes. Processes like RFCs (Requests for Comments), which should facilitate rapid, informed decisions, have instead become bureaucratic bottlenecks. In this talk, I’ll share battle-tested strategies to transform your RFC process:

• Cut decision time in half with streamlined templates and clear timelines
• Use the DACI model to engage the critical stakeholders
• Automate feedback gathering and stakeholder updates
• Create living documentation that prevents rehashing old debates

You’ll hear real stories of teams that turned their decision-making from a liability into a superpower. By the end, you’ll walk away with a toolkit, templates, and methodologies that fit any team setup and tech stack. Let’s make your team’s decisions faster, smarter, and more impactful. Don’t let indecision hold you back—join me to learn how to turn your RFC process into a secret weapon for engineering success.

Key takeaways

• Toolkit and Templates: The talk promises to provide templates, tricks, and methodologies that fit various tool stacks, giving attendees concrete resources to implement in their own organizations.
• Faster Decision-Making: Participants will learn how to make their team’s decisions faster without compromising on quality or stakeholder involvement.
• Stakeholder Management: The talk will introduce the DACI (Driver, Approver, Contributor, Informed) model, helping leaders effectively map and involve critical stakeholders in the decision-making process.
• Real-World Applications: Attendees will see practical examples of how other teams are working with RFCs.