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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Working with the business development team as an engineer means adjusting timelines, understanding technical remits, and accommodating a different approach to processes.
As you move up the career ladder, you might find yourself working a little more with the business development team. Working efficiently with this team helps engineers maximize their impact so understanding how to practically engage with them is important for team success.
How the business development team and engineering work together
Among other things, the business development team is responsible for winning new business for the company while also maintaining relationships with existing clients. One or two people on the engineering team are usually tasked with things like determining the feasibility of new proposals and providing time estimates for projects.
When I became a staff engineer, my involvement with the business development team gave me visibility into how my work as an engineer tied to revenue and opportunities for the company. But it came with its own challenges; I had to balance my technical hat with effective communication for a business audience. There were further alterations I had to make to my usual ways of working, but through small practical adjustments, I was able to build solid foundations with the business development team.
Timelines work differently in business development
Most engineering teams are used to very fast feedback times – celebrating the impact of speedy deployment times and even working to do everything we can to improve velocity.
But in the world of business development, things work slightly differently. Winning a business could take months or even years, and there is no guarantee of a good outcome. Fulfilling client wishes takes a little longer than engineers may be accustomed to, as well. And when it comes time to turn discussions into proposals, aligning technical and business teams can be a challenge.
For example, in one project proposal, we assessed requirements, calculated lead time, and came up with a timeline that did not match client expectations. To bridge this gap, we broke the features down into milestones. Making trade-offs clear creates a shared understanding that keeps both sides moving forward together – even if it’s not as quick as we’d like. Estimates are a range, and as long as there is clear reasoning behind the suggestions, they should be a helpful North Star for the client. For instance, “We estimate implementing feature X will take this long due to Y assumptions. If we identify that any of these assumptions are wrong then we need to re-estimate this feature.”
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Doing the right amount of research
When the business development team is a little further in with new client negotiations, the engineering team undergoes copious research into technologies on the market to gain a deep understanding of the minimum technical exploration needed. Ultimately, this also feeds into estimating the most accurate timeline.
This is also something that I struggled with. But I learned that technical feasibility often comes down to exploring whether the requested features exist – without getting bogged down in the details of its workings – and highlighting the biggest technical constraints – without unpacking particulars.
To make sure the business development team has the appropriate technical insights, it’s important to understand their audience on the client side. Different stakeholders will require varying levels of detail, and technical decisions need to be conveyed in a way that resonates with them.
Set the right foundations
Before throwing yourself into the deep end or making any big moves, take stock of what you know about your client’s needs. Ask: what problem are we really trying to solve?
Answering this question forces us to take a step back and scrutinize layers that might have been added prematurely. For instance, if the client asks for a native Android and iOS app, looking at the bigger picture means considering why they want a mobile app, what business goal they are trying to achieve, and how their project demands tie back to it. Engineers also need to consider the long-term goals for the application and if it makes sense to build the client’s desired technology in the timeframe provided.
This is especially the case if there’s an exploratory air around your client’s needs. Start answering questions like: does it make sense to start development as soon as the client is signed on? Do they need to start with discovery sessions prior to development?
Understanding the problem that needs to be solved without getting caught up in the nuances of how can help provide the best value for clients, doubly helping the business development team to build a solid foundation with the client.
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The buck doesn’t stop at client onboarding
If things go well and your company wins new businesses, you must do all you can to set the stage for the incoming software engineering team.
It is important to have a good grip on what kind of technical expertise currently exists in your company and use that to inform a hiring direction. This will make sure projects can be staffed with the right people who can ideally hit the ground running.
Further, you should help any new-joining engineers by conducting knowledge-sharing sessions on features, communicating the reasoning behind why certain features were prioritized (if any), discussing the results of exploratory work, identifying and sharing gaps in knowledge, supplying key contacts and any other notes.
A well-organized handoff delivers the ultimate value to a client while strengthening inter-departmental relationships within the business, so make sure you’ve done all you can to smooth the process.
Final thoughts
Working with the business development team was a rare opportunity to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the wider business. While there were definitely hurdles in the process, learning to adjust and grow can be rewarding.
