![Meri Williams](https://res.cloudinary.com/leaddev/image/upload/q_100,c_fill,g_auto:classic,e_sharpen,h_100,w_100/prod/sites/default/files//contributors/2024-01/Meri Williams.png)
Meri
Williams
CTO and Advisor
Pleo
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Welcome to LeadDev London 2024
A welcome to LeadDev London 2024 from the host Meri Williams. Featuring co-host, Marcus Gardiner.
Your host Meri Williams welcomes you to the day, run through our code of conduct and let you know what we've got coming up.
Meri is an experienced CTO and leader of technology organisations. She particularly enjoys helping others to level up as technical leaders and managers of organisations and works as a CTO coach and tech advisor / NED to various companies in this capacity through micro-consultancy ChromeRose. She has led teams ranging in size from 30 to 300, in a range of organisations from Procter & Gamble, to the Government Digital Service, award-winning online print company MOO, mobile-first challenger bank Monzo and patient-inspired AI-driven rare disease treatment discovery company Healx, amongst others. A published author and international speaker, she is the chair of The Lead Developer conference and a tech advisor for Kindred Capital. She’s also a trustee at Stonewall, the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ rights charity and together with her wife runs micro-charity One Goes Up to help young women & enby folks pursue STEM education & careers.
View Meri's LeadDev articles and talksMarcus Gardiner leads portfolios of technical teams (15-35 staff) for clients as a Technical Principal at Softwire, and is one of two Technical Capability Heads for Softwire's 220+ strong engineering capability. Most recently Marcus led the rapid evolution of BBC Sport experiences that entertain millions over billions of visits for everything from the World Cup to The Ashes. He also brings a unique cross-functional perspective as a career-changer from Business.
View Marcus's LeadDev articles and talksOver the past decade, technology's role in business has transformed. Engineering is no longer a back-office function or cost centre; it's a leading function. Renee shares how as engineering leaders, we must actively lead our businesses, ensuring the effective, safe, and ethical adoption of GenAI.
The landscape of technology has changed over the past decade - and that change has led to the place of engineering changing in the architecture of modern businesses.
As engineering leaders, we need to move beyond the perception that technology is a back-office function, a support function, or a cost centre - and understand that technology is a leading function. As engineering leaders, we need to actively seek to lead the businesses that we’re a part of - and this is especially critical as we look to ensure the effective, safe and ethical adoption of GenAI.
To do this effectively, it’s also important that engineering expands its horizon - taking ownership of the impact of the products we create and not just the code that we create them with. As engineering leaders, we need to gain cross-disciplinary knowledge in areas like marketing, data, operations and finance to successfully lead and resolve key business challenges and identify transformational opportunities.
Renee has been Chief Technology Officer at Compare the Market since March 2022, when she was promoted from her role as Director of Engineering. Following a military career, Renee has held Director positions for companies such as Deloitte and Sky, including consultancy roles.Renee holds a BA in Foreign Service and International Politics from Penn State University and has an MBA from the Texas McCombs School of Business.
View Renee's LeadDev articles and talksIn this talk, media server engineer Josh McNamee discusses the challenges in shipping Disguise’s 'Single Large Canvas', the software feature that lets U2 put images on the inside of the Las Vegas Sphere.
In this talk, media server engineer Josh McNamee discusses the challenges in shipping Disguise’s 'Single Large Canvas', the software feature that lets U2 put images on the inside of the Las Vegas Sphere.
Across disciplines and time zones, the team worked through a series of complex challenges to deliver a pipeline to let 23 machines fill a 16k video wall. Live events work to very short deadlines, where a whole project can come together in a matter of days before the band walks on stage. In this environment, software issues can and do emerge at the eleventh hour and have to be carefully triaged, tracked and resolved with confidence.
As the scope of customer requirements shifted and came into focus, the project expanded from a team with a single engineer and grew rapidly over three months. Members were split across two continents, stamping out bugs in overlapping shifts and shuttling information back and forth between in-house testing and on-site testing.
Discussing both the managerial and technical challenges, this talk will go through what worked, what didn’t, and what lessons were learned for the next show - which was only six months later!
Josh McNamee is an engineering lead at Disguise, helping to ensure some of the world's biggest shows are alright on the night. His background is in rendering and GPGPU with time in VFX for cinema, and a computer graphics PhD from the University of Warwick. In his spare time Josh makes video essays and writes about film, and (just occasionally) acts.
View Josh's LeadDev articles and talksA sneak peek into the 2024 LeadDev Engineering Management report: how the role is changing and what these changes mean for the industry at large.
Over the last two years, the tech industry has been going through big changes
After a decade of boom, a lot of companies have been running layoffs, and headlines were dominated by CEOs talking about a need for “fewer managers”, “more efficiency”, and “more AI.” Throughout this time, many engineering leaders have been really busy turning a lot of these decisions into reality, while trying to make sense of these large and rapid changes beyond just headlines and anecdotes. Many leaders have been wondering what the industry shifts mean for them, asking questions like:
I’m a VP Engineering and coach to engineering leaders, and, like you, I’ve been trying to get these answers—and now I’m sharing them with you: “The Engineering Leadership Report 2024”, produced in partnership with LeadDev and based on insight of over 1,100 engineering leaders. Join me for this talk to hear answers to these and more questions about the future of engineering leadership.
You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of the shape of a changed industry, and the nuances in those changes, as well as concrete ideas for what you can do to navigate it successfully. During the office hours afterwards, co-producer Scott Carey, Editor in Chief at LeadDev, and I will be happy to answer your questions.
Lena Reinhard has dedicated her career to building successful, high-performing globally distributed engineering organisations, and helping teams thrive in times of high change like hypergrowth. She now offers transformational leadership coaching and consulting for leaders. Previously, Lena served as VP Engineering with CircleCI and Travis CI, as well as a startup co-founder & CEO, and through her cross-functional background and experience, she brings a unique perspective on systems of technology, business, and people.
View Lena's LeadDev articles and talksScott Carey is the Editor in Chief at LeadDev. An experienced technology journalist, he has covered software development for Computerworld, CIO, and InfoWorld before joining LeadDev.
View Scott's LeadDev articles and talksChat with the speakers face-to-face in a relaxed, conversational environment.
Join facilitated group conversations with other leaders on:
Join facilitated group conversations with other leaders on:
Inspired by Lara Hogan’s Manager Voltron, meet other leaders to build your peer network at LeadDev London.
In this talk, Bruce discusses how they're reframing technical debt at Netflix and what they're investing in to help manage it better.
Tech Debt is a natural by-product of software engineering, yet we, in the software industry, don’t attack it with the same excitement or fervor as we do with product innovation or feature development.
What if we could change that narrative? What if we looked at tech debt as a vehicle for novel innovation, growth for your best engineers, and managing it became a competitive advantage? In this talk, I’ll discuss how we’re reframing technical debt at Netflix and what we’re investing in to help manage it better.
Bruce has been an engineering leader for 15+ years, and currently an Engineering Director, Product Platform Systems at Netflix. The team creates a unified abstraction and aggregation layer over disparate Netflix mid-tier systems, enabling device teams to build innovative user experiences through a consistent API layer. On the consumer side they enable signup, content discovery, and partner experiences on 1000+ device types, and on the studio side, they maintain a federated GraphQL service that powers dozens of internal applications that enable Netflix’s global studio functions. Prior to that, he was the Sr Director of Eng at Shippo, VPE at Packet and CTO, Co-founder or Eng Leader at various startups and enterprises. He is also a serious foodie and resides in San Francisco with his wife and two daughters.
View Bruce's LeadDev articles and talksReady to transform your team dynamics? Join Dominika for this insightful talk. You'll walk away with actionable strategies to lighten your workload while empowering your team members and fostering their growth. Say goodbye to burnout and hello to contentment, with more time for exciting projects! From overload to oasis in under 10 minutes.
Tired of being overloaded with monotonous tasks? Craving more time for the ‘cool stuff’? You’re not alone.
As many organisations and teams enjoy the trialled comforts of hierarchy, all the responsibility tends to fall on the shoulders of leads, leaving them drowning in meetings and all kinds of ‘been there, done that’ tasks. Meanwhile, talented juniors never catch a glimpse of these new opportunities. Eager for more responsibility and exposure, yet struggling to find it, they can feel similarly stuck in their own search for more 'cool' bits in the day-to-day.
So if half of us are lulled into overload and the other half frantically looking for more ways to contribute then is it time for change?
If you’re ready to shift your team dynamics then join me for this talk. You’ll leave with actionable strategies on how to lighten your workload whilst genuinely empowering your team members and helping them grow. Instil confidence, create a safe environment and elevate your leadership. Less burnout, more contentment and way more time for the cool stuff! From overload to oasis, in under 10mins. It’s a win-win 🚀
Meet Dom, a dynamic full stack web engineer passionate about product, performance, and security. As a confident mid-weight developer, she enjoys sharing her knowledge with others and always manages a steady stream of new ideas, eager to revolutionise the tech game. Dom loves a challenge and constantly seeks new opportunities, currently undertaking a part-time master's degree in AI.
View Dominika's LeadDev articles and talksOver the past two years, Matt has been experimenting with various processes and ways of working to maximize his team's ability to collaborate, deliver incrementally, and build team rapport, even when they can't be in the same room. In this talk, Matt shares a retrospective of that journey, discussing what worked, what didn’t, and the valuable lessons learned along the way.
In 2020, Cloudflare moved from being an in office company to 100% remote. This changed the way we work completely.
As an Engineering Manager, I am responsible for managing 12 engineers across two different teams in 4 different timezones (SF, London, Austin and New York). Over the past two years we have experimented (and continue to experiment) with various processes and ways of working to maximise our ability to work collaboratively, deliver incrementally and build team rapport; even when we can't be in the same room.
This talk will be a retrospective of that journey. We will explore what worked, what didn't and what were trying next.
View Matt's LeadDev articles and talks
Cat presents the research journey of Pluralsight's extensive study on the social science aspects of GenAI adoption. The study aimed to inject a human-centred approach into critical questions that engineering organizations confront regarding the evolving landscape of AI-assisted coding.
So we’ve bought a Copilot license for our teams….AI in software solved, right?!
Well, in the Developer Success Lab – an empirical research lab studying the social science of developers and their wellbeing — we went on a journey in 2023 to understand something a little different about AI and software work: how developers are being impacted by changing expectations happening across the world of software development, and what leaders can do to help them.
In this talk, I want to share the research story of our large-scale study into the social science of genAI adoption as we fought to bring a human-centered approach to pressing questions that engineering organizations are facing about the rapidly-changing possibilities of AI-assisted coding.
In this talk, I’ll share our original empirical research findings from 3000+ software engineers and developers across 12+ industries engaged in the transition to generative AI-assisted software work. How are developers impacted by changing demands on their roles? Where might there be emerging equity & opportunity gaps in who has access to these new development capabilities? What are the risks to the quality of technical work, and the developer productivity, thriving, and motivation which drive that technical work? Along with rich data and important insights about the current state of genAI adoption, we learned that what developers are grappling with goes far deeper than flipping the switch on a new tool: by measuring key beliefs about where programming ability comes from and who is seen as "brilliant," we gathered empirical evidence about how to explain why teams thrive and others flail during this transition.
Along the way, I’ll share the adventure of doing science on an innovative topic under high scrutiny – the choices we made as scientists about what to study and what to measure, including how using community-based methods to amplify diverse, underrepresented voices on tech gives us access to remarkable, incisive insights about how we use AI. Our research has found important risks and emerging equity gaps in how developers are experiencing the transition to AI, but also highlights the teams already creating resilience in this transition.
Despite the uncertainty of technological transition, moments of change are also a transformational opportunity to examine our shared definitions of success, productivity, and knowledge work. Despite the upheaval of changing technical work, developers’ core skills of lifelong learning and collaboration are key strengths that engineering managers can leverage to sustain innovative teams.
As the VP of Research Insights and the Director of the Developer Success Lab at Pluralsight Flow, Cat Hicks studies the science of how developer teams learn and thrive. Cat is a social science leader in tech with expertise leading applied research teams to explore complex areas of human behavior, empirical intervention, and evidence science. Cat serves on the Advisory Council of the University of San Diego Center for Digital Civil Society, as a research affiliate in STEM education research at UC San Diego, and as an advocate for increasing education access. She holds a Ph.D. in Quantitative Experimental Psychology from UC San Diego, was an inaugural Fellow in the UC San Diego Design Lab, and has led research at organizations such as Google and Khan Academy.
View Cat's LeadDev articles and talksChat with the speakers face-to-face in a relaxed, conversational environment.
Dedicated sessions on how to take the next step in your career for:
Join facilitated conversations on:
Join facilitated conversations on:
Watch or participate in free 1:1 coaching
Connect with other leaders with similar backgrounds and experiences to you, and build a peer network for support throughout your leadership journey.
Connect with other leaders with similar backgrounds and experiences to you, and build a peer network for support throughout your leadership journey.
Bring a book and get it signed - or just have a chat.
Parul takes you on a trip down memory lane to learn about Neurodiversity in technical leadership through concepts from nostalgic video games such as Mario, Pacman and Tetris.
What happens when great minds DON'T think alike?
Most of already know that diverse teams are more productive and build better tech products. But Neurodiversity is still relatively new to the conversation when talking about DEI in the workplace. Since the prevalence of Neurodivergence in tech is almost double that of the general population, technical leaders have a position of power and responsibility to consciously build neuroinclusive environments.
In this talk, you'll learn about a DEI topic in a way that you've never seen before. Parul will be taking you on a trip down memory lane to learn about Neurodiversity in technical leadership through concepts from nostalgic video games such as Mario, Pacman and Tetris. She'll use case studies to demonstrate different scenarios faced by technical leaders and best practices to support and embrace neurodiversity in the workplace.
Parul is the founder of Parallel Minds, a Neurodiversity consultancy on a mission to build a brighter future for Neurodivergent people in tech. Parul has witnessed the rapidly evolving landscape of what it means to be Neurodivergent within tech throughout her career and she draws on her lived experience of being Autistic and ADHD and ADHD to empower you to change how you work with your Neurodivergent colleagues.
View Parul 's LeadDev articles and talksAndra's talk focuses on the advantages of creating tools like Medic's Technology Radars, emphasizing transparency, alignment, and accelerated onboarding, all of which are enhanced by Medic's dedication to open-source principles.
The Community Health Toolkit (CHT) supports a vast range of open-source tools, features, and health service activities.
Through the technical stewardship provided for the CHT, Medic is committed to ensuring the tools stay updated with the newest technologies, techniques, innovations, and industry improvements to serve the community better.
To bring transparency and enhance visibility and clarity on the technology choices, the technological strategy, and the available features and tools, the CHT leverages a framework called Technology Radar.
A Technology Radar provides an easy-to-grasp visual representation of tools, languages, frameworks, platforms, and techniques, as well as features and functionalities available for use to build the CHT. Additionally, the Technology Radar provides a degree of adoption and guidelines on using (or not using) a particular technology with the CHT.
Human-Centered Design (HCD) is important at Medic and building out technology radars is no exception. In this case that shows in the form of two radars, each designed specifically for the needs of the technologists using it. Those are a CHT Technology Radar for Implementers and a CHT Technology Radar for Contributors. Both versions leverage existing open-source tools by ThoughtWorks and AOE to implement the user interface; the difference is in the content and anticipated collaborators. Due to Medic’s commitment to open-source, all the content of the Technology Radars is public on GitHub and open to the community to provide comments and suggestions.
The talk centres around the benefits of building such a tool, such as transparency, alignment and faster onboarding.
Andra serves as Engineering Manager at Medic, combining her passions for programming, people management, and finding ways to improve people's lives through relevant and accessible digital tools. She has the unique opportunity to manage a team of bright technology professionals from 6 countries, living on 4 continents, in 6 time zones, and speaking a total of 9 languages, genuinely committed to the same mission: build open-source software for health workers providing care in the world’s hardest-to-reach communities. She holds a Master of Engineering in Computer Science and has previously contributed to developing digital products in the airline industry, and more recently, non-profit organisations. Outside technology, Andra is passionate about learning new languages, which gives her a higher chance to talk with more and more people from different cultures.
View Andra's LeadDev articles and talksJennifer examines how an over-reliance on metrics can be exploited by both developers and managers for status, power and $$$$. And for the less cynical, how a sensible approach to measuring things can make a team work better.
As an engineering team lead, I spent countless hours pouring over data points, spreadsheets, and graphs in search of the perfect set of metrics to measure our team’s success.
I’ve scrutinised burndown charts, velocity reports, and defect density metrics, searching for insights that will help us deliver more value to our customers in less time. But as a member of the development team, I’ve also experienced the frustration of being reduced to a set of numbers, and the pressure to meet arbitrary targets that don’t necessarily reflect the reality of our work. During this talk, we’ll examine how an over-reliance on metrics can be exploited by both developers and managers for status, power and $$$$. And for the less cynical, how a sensible approach to measuring things can make a team work better.
Jennifer has been a professional software developer for over 10 years, and an unprofessional one for much longer. Switching between engineering and leadership jobs on a whim, she has experience all over the management stack. Her priorities at the moment include applying science to software teams to work out how to make them more productive without breaking anyone in the process. Outside of work she 3D prints pointless accessories for her raspberry pi robot collection.
View Jennifer's LeadDev articles and talksPicking metrics is one thing. But the harder decisions lie in what to do with them afterward. These choices determine whether your organisation is able to use metrics to improve – or if they’re actually going to cause your engineering culture to take a nosedive. After coaching hundreds of engineering leaders, I’ve seen that the ones who really got it right shared a few important traits: all metrics are tied to a decision, they involve their teams, and they always, always follow-up. Aside from metrics, these leaders know that they need to equip their teams with the knowledge, tools, and autonomy they need to continuously improve.
Picking metrics is one thing. But the harder decisions lie in what to do with them afterward.
These choices determine whether your organisation can use metrics to improve – or if they’re going to cause your engineering culture to take a nosedive. After coaching hundreds of engineering leaders, I’ve seen that the ones who got it right shared a few important traits: all metrics are tied to a decision, they involve their teams, and they always, always follow up. Aside from metrics, these leaders know that they need to equip their teams with the knowledge, tools, and autonomy they need to continuously improve.
Drawing on examples from teams of all stages and sizes, join me to see how you and your teams can responsibly use metrics to foster habits of continuous improvement.
Laura Tacho is CTO at DX, a developer experience company. She previously led teams at companies like CloudBees, Aula Education, and Nova Credit, and is a Docker Captain alumni. She’s an expert in building world-class engineering organisations that consistently deliver outstanding results. Laura has coached CTOs and other engineering leaders from startups to the Fortune 500, and also facilitates a popular course on metrics and engineering team performance.
View Laura's LeadDev articles and talksChat with the speakers face-to-face in a relaxed, conversational environment.
Dedicated sessions on how to take the next step in your career for:
Work together to find ways of solving a common problem posed by our moderator.
Join facilitated conversations on how to interpret engineering data in a holistic way.
Join facilitated conversations on how you can maintain a healthy culture even under high pressure.
Watch or participate in free 1:1 coaching
Connect with other leaders with similar backgrounds and experiences to you, and build a peer network for support throughout your leadership journey.
Connect with other leaders with similar backgrounds and experiences to you, and build a peer network for support throughout your leadership journey.
Bring a book and get it signed - or just have a chat.
Grishma gives an overview of data science and delves deep into the pipeline data scientists use - right from fetching the data, the Python tools and frameworks used to creating models, gaining insights and telling a story.
Today’s world generates different kinds of data at unbelievably rapid rates.
This has resulted in a shift away from traditional software development towards Data Science. This talk gives an overview of Data Science and delves deep into the pipeline data scientists use - right from fetching the data, the Python tools and frameworks used to creating models, gaining insights and telling a story. The session is aimed towards aspiring data scientists - hobbyists and professionals alike. Data-curious folks interested in knowing what the field of Data Science entails are welcome to attend too.
Grishma is a Data Scientist with the UX Insights team at IBM in San Francisco. As the only Data Scientist in the org, she supports 100+ user researchers and designers and uses data to understand user struggles and opportunities to enhance user experiences. She earned her Masters in Computer Science at University of Pennsylvania and has spoken and facilitated 50+ talks and workshops at multiple conferences. She has been recognized by the Python Software Foundation as a Fellow for her extraordinary efforts and impact upon Python. She is actively involved with STEM organizations and has won awards for her community work and advocacy.
View Grishma's LeadDev articles and talksThe creation of the Barbican offers valuable lessons in navigating stakeholders and constraints. Nick delves into the fascinating story behind the remarkable buildings.
If you were standing in this exact spot in early 1941, you’d be surrounded by rubble. Large swaths of London lie in ruins after the months-long Blitz during World War II, and Cripplegate ward where we now sit was almost completely destroyed. The only building you’d see standing would be a heavily damaged St. Giles Church.
The government plan for rebuilding London after World War II called for this incredibly valuable land to be filled with office towers to help fill the City of London’s insatiable need for office space. What got built instead was a monument to urbanism and Brutalist architecture housing 2,000 residences, 3 schools, a church, and a performing arts complex.
There’s a lot we can learn about navigating the stakeholders and constraints we face every day from the people who made the Barbican a reality. Let’s dig into the fascinating story of this incredible set of buildings.
Nickolas Means loves nothing more than a story of engineering triumph (except maybe a story of engineering disaster). He’s a student of building healthy culture for technical teams and thinks we have a lot to learn from those who have come before us. He hails from Austin, TX, and spends his spare time hanging out with his wife and kids, building keyboards, and pursuing the perfect cup of coffee.
View Nickolas's LeadDev articles and talksClosing session
Meri is an experienced CTO and leader of technology organisations. She particularly enjoys helping others to level up as technical leaders and managers of organisations and works as a CTO coach and tech advisor / NED to various companies in this capacity through micro-consultancy ChromeRose. She has led teams ranging in size from 30 to 300, in a range of organisations from Procter & Gamble, to the Government Digital Service, award-winning online print company MOO, mobile-first challenger bank Monzo and patient-inspired AI-driven rare disease treatment discovery company Healx, amongst others. A published author and international speaker, she is the chair of The Lead Developer conference and a tech advisor for Kindred Capital. She’s also a trustee at Stonewall, the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ rights charity and together with her wife runs micro-charity One Goes Up to help young women & enby folks pursue STEM education & careers.
View Meri's LeadDev articles and talksHear from technology leaders at the highest level of engineering. Find out what CTOs of top organisations need from their teams and what their focus is for 2024 and beyond.
Hear from the LeadDev content team on the secrets of crafting winning speaker submissions, effective article proposals and how to get involved with the community.
Chat with the speakers face-to-face in a relaxed, conversational environment.
Join facilitated conversations on:
A welcome to LeadDev London 2024 from the host Meri Williams. Featuring co-host, Marcus Gardiner.
Your host Meri Williams welcomes you to the day, run through our code of conduct and let you know what we've got coming up.
Meri is an experienced CTO and leader of technology organisations. She particularly enjoys helping others to level up as technical leaders and managers of organisations and works as a CTO coach and tech advisor / NED to various companies in this capacity through micro-consultancy ChromeRose. She has led teams ranging in size from 30 to 300, in a range of organisations from Procter & Gamble, to the Government Digital Service, award-winning online print company MOO, mobile-first challenger bank Monzo and patient-inspired AI-driven rare disease treatment discovery company Healx, amongst others. A published author and international speaker, she is the chair of The Lead Developer conference and a tech advisor for Kindred Capital. She’s also a trustee at Stonewall, the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ rights charity and together with her wife runs micro-charity One Goes Up to help young women & enby folks pursue STEM education & careers.
View Meri's LeadDev articles and talksMarcus Gardiner leads portfolios of technical teams (15-35 staff) for clients as a Technical Principal at Softwire, and is one of two Technical Capability Heads for Softwire's 220+ strong engineering capability. Most recently Marcus led the rapid evolution of BBC Sport experiences that entertain millions over billions of visits for everything from the World Cup to The Ashes. He also brings a unique cross-functional perspective as a career-changer from Business.
View Marcus's LeadDev articles and talksOn the back of working in the tech industry developing great products in highly competitive markets, how can we make society better? Germán and Seraphine will share the story of skills and talent meeting diversity and social impact.
On the back of working in the tech industry developing great products in highly competitive markets, how can we make society better? Germán and Seraphine will share the story of skills and talent meeting diversity and social impact.
Germán is the founder of CodeYourFuture, a community-led organization offering inclusive software development training to people from refugee and low-income backgrounds. In doing so, CodeYourFuture enables individuals to start thriving careers in the tech industry. Previously, Germán held roles in Open Innovation, produced artistic events and managed fundraising campaigns. He holds degrees in Electronics Engineering and Comparative Literature.
View Germán's LeadDev articles and talksSeraphine is a Demo Architect at GitLab, based in the United Kingdom. She is an alumna of CodeYourFuture and has experience as a Solutions Engineer and Cloud Consultant. As an advocate for breaking barriers and fostering a more inclusive workforce, especially in the tech industry, she believes there's ample space for everyone to succeed. Seraphine shares her experiences through her YouTube channel and by giving back to CodeYourFuture. She is dedicated to holding the door wide open for anyone eager to enter the field.
View Seraphine's LeadDev articles and talksIn this talk, Gareth and Ed will take you through how they built a comprehensive competency framework; starting from an initial MVP all the way to where they are today - a dedicated web app powered through markdown files in Github and a Blazor Server App.
As engineering leaders, it’s our job to make the folks in our team the most effective that they can be and to grow them to their full potential.
But if engineers don’t know how to develop in a structured way, they’re more likely to feel disengaged - viewing career conversations and reviews as tick box exercises. And equally as a manager, if you don’t have structured ways to evaluate development you’re more likely to fall victim to bad habits around progression - promoting focus on word of mouth or impression, which could place another barrier in front of engineers who underrepresented in tech.
So how can you create a structured way for engineers to view, track, and take charge of their own development? And a way that gives you an equitable way of rating their progression?
At ASOS, we run quarterly surveys with our engineers and we heard that they were struggling to know how to grow themselves - and so we knew we had to do something about it. In this talk, we’ll take you through how we built a comprehensive competency framework; starting from an initial MVP all the way to where we are today - a dedicated web app powered through markdown files in Github and a Blazor Server App. We'll delve into the evolution of frameworks and tools, all with one goal in mind: crafting an engaging and user-friendly platform to drive meaningful development and career conversations. And we’ll also take you through how we shared our matrix with folks outside of engineering - and how they ended up adopting it too.
You’ll take away:
Understanding of which platform of delivery are most effective for career matrix
Gareth is a seasoned test professional, with over 15 years of experience in the field. A father of two and a Sunderland fan (please no judgments on that!). He is passionate about igniting the passion in individuals and helping them reach their full potential, through coaching, mentoring and providing frameworks that allow them to grow and develop. He is also keen to draw parallels between the artistry of sport and the precision of software engineering both in the form of individuals and teams.
View Gareth's LeadDev articles and talksEd has been an Engineering Manager for 3.5 years and loves to support engineers of all variety develop and grow, both technically and as people. Ed loves collaborating with people across the business to ensure engineers get the best opportunities they can.
View Ed's LeadDev articles and talksIn this talk, we're going to explore a framework for evaluating the return on investment (ROI) of complex tech decisions, illustrated with real-world examples that highlight both the traps to avoid and the paths to success. I'll share methods for pinpointing key metrics that matter, and how to design experiments or proof-of-concepts to measure ROI. Finally we will discuss the importance of staying objective and adaptable throughout the process.
As tech leaders, we often find ourselves at a crossroads, pondering over crucial decisions like:
If you're feeling a bit lost or uncertain about how to tackle these decisions, you're definitely not alone.
Making smart tech decisions — those that minimize costs while maximizing profits for our organization — can feel like trying to find your way through a labyrinth. There are various factors to weigh and often multiple routes that could lead to what you consider the best result.
In this talk, we're going to explore a framework for evaluating the return on investment (ROI) of complex tech decisions, illustrated with real-world examples that highlight both the traps to avoid and the paths to success. I'll share methods for pinpointing key metrics that matter, and how to design experiments or proof-of-concepts to measure ROI. Finally we will discuss the importance of staying objective and adaptable throughout the process.
You will leave this talk equipped to navigate the complexities of tech decision-making with confidence, ensuring your choices align with your strategic goals and deliver tangible value.
Katerina is a senior machine learning engineer at Meta. She is working on the machine learning models that power content recommendations on the Facebook home feed and Facebook Reels, with an emphasis on cold start problems. Previously, she was a Staff Software Engineer at The New York Times, where she helped build their personalization platform as well as scaling the newsroom messaging platform so that it could send 50 million emails in under 1 minute. She holds a dual Master's degree in Computer Science and Journalism from Columbia University. She is passionate about building intelligent machines for the media and exploring how technology can reshape information consumption. Katerina lives in New York with her husband and 1.5 year old son.
View Katerina's LeadDev articles and talksIn this talk, Jared shares how Vercel transitioned to an AI-native company and how you too can operate highly effective, AI-native product engineering teams, from the tools used to the way to stay organised amid the rapidly changing pace of AI.
From idea to production, AI has changed the entire software development lifecycle.
At Vercel, we're no longer running the traditional software 1.0 playbook.
In this talk, we'll discuss how Vercel transitioned to an AI-native company and how you too can operate highly effective, AI-native product engineering teams, from the tools used to the way to stay organised amid the rapidly changing pace of AI.
Jared is the VP of AI at Vercel where he leads their v0.dev and the Vercel AI SDK efforts. Before AI, he led all of Vercel's Frameworks division (which includes Next.js, React core, Turborepo, Turbopack, SvelteKit, SWC, their internal developer tools team and all of Vercel's OSS projects). He joined Vercel after they acquired his build system startup, Turborepo, in late 2021. Before Vercel and Turborepo, he ran a software development and design studio in New York City called The Palmer Group. He is mostly known for his open-source projects in the React ecosystem such as Formik and TSDX, which are trusted by millions of developers all over the world. He is an angel investor for early-stage startups that he is passionate about. When he's not working or tweeting, he's likely skiing on the East Coast, going to concerts, or hanging with friends.
View Jared's LeadDev articles and talksChat with the speakers face-to-face in a relaxed, conversational environment.
Dedicated sessions on how to take the next step in your career for:
Connect with other leaders with similar backgrounds and experiences to you, and build a peer network for support throughout your leadership journey.
Work together to find ways of solving a common problem posed by our moderator.
Join facilitated conversations on how to keep learning even when you're short on time.
Join facilitated conversations on how to have meaningful progression conversations with your team.
Watch or participate in free 1:1 coaching
Connect with other leaders with similar backgrounds and experiences to you, and build a peer network for support throughout your leadership journey.
This talk explains how to kickstart a data team, establish a robust data platform, and implement the first data analytics and machine learning use cases.
Join me for a deep dive into a down-to-earth data story that has been overshadowed on the stage.
While discussions often revolve around cutting-edge technologies like genAI, ChatGPT, and deep learning, this talk shifts the spotlight to what truly matters for most companies—practical data analytics and real-world machine learning applications.
Learn why enabling data-driven decision-making and automating tasks with machine learning are the keystones that can truly make a difference, particularly for companies transitioning from start-up to scale-up. We'll explore the essential steps in establishing and proving the product-market fit of a new, small data team in a scale-up environment, essentially a data start-up within your own company.
This talk explains how to kickstart a data team, establish a robust data platform, and implement the first data analytics and machine learning use cases. With the new data team proving its value, it's crucial to avoid getting stuck when experiencing a surge in demand. Drawing parallels with the growth pains often experienced by expanding engineering teams, we'll use concepts from Team Topologies to navigate the challenges and scale your data initiatives effectively.
Whether you're a data enthusiast, an engineering leader, or part of a growing start-up, this talk promises valuable insights and actionable strategies for creating your own success story with Data & ML.
Ellissa is a real sustainability enthusiast and aims to contribute her share in private and professional life. Experienced in creating practical AI applications in the energy domain, she is now leading the Data Team at Sympower. Ellissa's team provides AI-based forecasting and analytics, required to optimise and automate Sympower's flexibility services.
View Ellissa's LeadDev articles and talksAgainst the backdrop of a system that failed with heartbreaking real-world consequences, Hywel’s talk will examine the micro-decisions that lead to bad and dangerous software practices (e.g. remote access to production), and what you can do about them if you’re not the key decision maker.
The story of the Post Office scandal not only serves as a warning about tech failure, but also as a reminder of the real-world significance of the software we build.
Against the backdrop of a system that failed with heartbreaking real-world consequences, Hywel’s talk will examine the micro-decisions that lead to bad and dangerous software practices (e.g. remote access to production), and what you can do about them if you’re not the key decision maker.
He will then explore how dev team culture can lead to the types of process that make complex systems fail, and what you can do to recognise the red flags and course-correct.
Hywel wrote his first program in C aged 9. After graduating with an MEng from Cambridge, he dropped out of his PhD programme to co-found his first start-up. Today, Hywel is Skiller Whale’s Co-Founder and CEO. He runs a dinner club for CTOs, a podcast for tech leaders called 'Primarily Context-Based', and is designing and building his own 8-bit computer for playing Pong. In his 12+ year career, he’s been building and scaling start-ups. With Skiller Whale, he is drawing on that experience to solve the biggest problem he faced as a CTO: learning for engineering teams.
View Hywel's LeadDev articles and talksIn this talk, Inna will share the crucial insights gained from her leadership evolution, transforming your approach from team management to strategic leadership.
Ever fantasized about wearing your manager's shoes and calling all the shots?
The reality of leading a large, complex team might surprise you. Stellar execution and in-depth knowledge won't cut it anymore – leading at scale is a whole different ballgame.
Transitioning from managing a close-knit team to leading a larger, potentially distributed organization throws unexpected curveballs. Being an expert in your domain or building personal bonds won't magically make you an effective leader. So, how do you shift gears?
Inna Weiner navigated this exact journey and lived to tell the tale. In this talk, she'll share the crucial insights gained from her leadership evolution, transforming your approach from team management to strategic leadership. Gain five practical tips you can implement immediately to empower others, craft a compelling vision, make tough decisions, and become a leader people genuinely want to follow.
Inna Weiner is a senior technical leader with 20+ years of global experience. A big data expert, specializing in data processing, storage, access, insider risk, privacy and policy compliance. During her time at Google, Inna led engineering teams for consumer and enterprise products. Inna spent 6 years in Mountain View where she led the Google Search Analytics Data Warehouse, growing her organization 10x from 5 to 50. Recently, Inna relocated back to Israel where she leads engineering for Google Cloud Database Migration Service (DMS), distributed across Israel, US and India. Inna enjoys building diverse engineering organizations, with common vision, growth strategy and inclusive culture.
View Inna's LeadDev articles and talksIn this talk, Jitesh will take you through uncertainty and its impact on our lives by looking at case studies from the cotton mill workers of 19th Century Britain to the fall of Nokia as the world's No. 1 phone maker and how change connects them both. Jitesh will explore how the uncertainty of change can sometimes cause us to ignore, deny, distort, or even try to stop it from happening instead of working with it.
As the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, "Nothing endures but change".
But have you ever wondered why some of us handle change better than others? And how does this relate to software testing? Well, it's not the change itself that's the problem, but rather the uncertainty that comes with it. And who plays a crucial role in managing this uncertainty? Our software teams use testing as their primary tool.
In this talk, I will take you through uncertainty and its impact on our lives by looking at case studies from the cotton mill workers of 19th Century Britain to the fall of Nokia as the world's No. 1 phone maker and how change connects them both. Then, I will explore how the uncertainty of change can sometimes cause us to ignore, deny, distort, or even try to stop it from happening instead of working with it.
From there, I will show you how to work with uncertainty by getting curious and learning about our environments. However, this approach works well for well-understood things with expected outcomes, such as a combustion engine. But creating software is far from certain.
The problem with software development is that we can only be partially sure that what we build will give us the desired outcomes. Moreover, we don't always know the best way to build it. To reduce this uncertainty, we use testing, but not always in the most effective way. We may use testing to feel that we are reducing uncertainty, but it does not necessarily do so. Yet, wonder, curiosity, and learning empower us to navigate the uncertain waters of software development.
Jitesh Gosai has over 19 years of testing experience, working with various companies enabling them to build, test, and automate at scale. He is currently a principal tester at the BBC in the iPlayer & Sounds department, working with Mobile, TV, Web, and Smart speaker teams. His core aim is to create a culture of quality by helping teams build quality into their products. In his free time, he likes to speak about his experiences at conferences all over Europe and blogs regularly.
View Jitesh 's LeadDev articles and talksChat with the speakers face-to-face in a relaxed, conversational environment.
Dedicated sessions on how to take the next step in your career for:
Join facilitated conversations on:
Join facilitated conversations on:
Watch or participate in free 1:1 coaching
Connect with other leaders with similar backgrounds and experiences to you, and build a peer network for support throughout your leadership journey.
Connect with other leaders with similar backgrounds and experiences to you, and build a peer network for support throughout your leadership journey.
In this short talk, Lawrence will reflect on his experience leading teams through multi-year migration projects. He will discuss a general approach to this before shining a spotlight on the unique challenges that a prolonged migration project has on team dynamics.
The evolving technology landscape presents challenges for engineers as they maintain, update, and replace software in order make use of new features and more powerful software frameworks.
Whether a simple refactoring, replacing an existing API, or redesigning a service or even an entire system, migration projects are an inevitable staple in an engineer’s diet. As Team Leads, migration projects present distinct challenges, most notably that existing users, who may be outside our immediate sphere of influence, must be migrated to the new solution. This can take time.
In this short talk, Lawrence will reflect on his experience leading teams through multi-year migration projects. He will discuss a general approach to this before shining a spotlight on the unique challenges that a prolonged migration project has on team dynamics. For example, how do we cope with fatigue and complacency? What can leaders do to motivate the team and help them maintain their focus? Finally, the speaker will examine some techniques to address these questions and how the resulting lessons can be applied more generally within the Team Lead role.
With more than 15 years of experience in the software industry, Lawrence Taylor is an Engineering Team Lead for Bloomberg’s Index business. As a long-time Individual Contributor, his journey into leadership has been motivated by the impact of people and teams on project delivery.
View Lawrence's LeadDev articles and talksThis presentation will provide practical advice and insights to help you improve your skills and avoid becoming the next "All Star" bug. So, join Christian for an entertaining and educational session that will leave you with a better understanding of software development and the tools to take your skills to the next level.
Are you ready to explore the fascinating world of software bugs and the lessons we can learn from them?
Join me for a thought-provoking and entertaining presentation where I'll take you on a journey through some of the biggest and most impactful bugs in software history, including the example of an interplanetary probe launched by NASA that was lost due to a software bug. This will not only show the importance of attention to detail but also highlight the significance of proper testing and quality assurance.
We all know that no piece of software is free of bugs and errors, but by learning from the mistakes of others, we can minimize the risk of introducing similar bugs in our own work. This talk is designed to evoke a sense of schadenfreude, allowing us to smile when we hear what happened to others while also taking away valuable lessons to improve our own craftsmanship.
This presentation will provide practical advice and insights to help you improve your skills and avoid becoming the next "All Star" bug. So, join me for an entertaining and educational session that will leave you with a better understanding of software development and the tools to take your skills to the next level.
Christian Seifert, a seasoned software engineering veteran with a rich history spanning over two decades, currently holds the role of Principal Consultant at esentri in Cologne, Germany. Beyond the intricacies of coding, his passion extends to the art of software architecture, weaving a tapestry that harmonizes technical brilliance with team synergy. Christian isn't just on the quest for the 'perfect' solution; he ensures that every participant in the development journey relishes the process. Originating from a deep fascination with technology, he now dedicates his time to both hands-on coding and sculpting a cohesive architectural vision for teams and business collaborators alike. As much an architect as a developer, Christian crafts an environment where software sophistication meets collaborative excellence. When not immersed in the digital realm, you might spot Christian cruising on his bike or jogging through the local park. On rainy days, he transforms into a Netflix aficionado, attempting to master the art of controlled binge-watching from the comfort of his couch.
View Christian's LeadDev articles and talksDuring Alicia's talk, she is going to share her tried and tested method of setting goals, and a step by step walk through of the process.
Setting goals does not come easy to everyone.
Not everyone is thinking about the future, not everyone wants to learn something new. People think goals are pointless and performative, and to be fair to them, they absolutely can be.
So, how do you set goals with someone who doesn’t really want to?
Well, the truth is, *most* people do have a sense of the direction they want to go in, deep down, somewhere. You as a manager just have to help them find it and drag it out them.
It’s also important to acknowledge that goals are not for everyone: they can create undue stress and distraction, so what do you do with those types of people?
There are tons of ways to set goals, there are countless blog posts and YouTube videos about it. Over the 4 years I’ve been managing, I’ve learnt a lot about how to help people find goals they are excited about. I’ve refined my own process, which focuses on the individual, aligns with the company and encourages true growth.
During my talk I’m going to share my tried and tested method of setting goals, I will do a step by step walk through of my process, including:
How to set direction when goals aren’t a good fit - Align with broader team or company objectives
Alicia has been an engineering managing for over 2 years, with experience working in many different industries, from biotech where she lead a team of molecular biologist to fintech where she helped build out the pay later space. Alicia is currently an EM at incident.io, who build software to help companies manage incidents more easily, helping her teams to get shit done and have fun doing it.
View Alicia 's LeadDev articles and talksChat with the speakers face-to-face in a relaxed, conversational environment.
Dedicated sessions on how to take the next step in your career for:
Join facilitated conversations on:
Work together to find ways of solving a common problem posed by our moderator:
Join facilitated conversations on:
Connect with other leaders with similar backgrounds and experiences to you, and build a peer network for support throughout your leadership journey.
Connect with other leaders with similar backgrounds and experiences to you, and build a peer network for support throughout your leadership journey.
Bring a book and get it signed - or just have a chat
In this talk, Chris will share insights for managing product teams as they navigate the complexities of integrating AI into their domains for the first time.
AI is no longer just a buzzword being thrown around but is becoming a foundational element engineers use when building software.
As AI reshapes the software engineering landscape and engineering teams embark on building their first AI-powered features, leadership and management also need to evolve in ways that ensure they can provide the right support to set teams up for success as they navigate this new frontier.
Drawing from my experience as Engineering Manager at incident.io, where I was part of a product team that built the company's first AI-powered features, this talk combines personal insights and broader leadership strategies. It aims to help your team navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by AI. It will highlight the need for leaders to adapt to these technologies and to anticipate unexpected outcomes as teams begin using them. This talk's objective is to provide engineering managers with the tools necessary to encourage innovation, manage new situations, and ensure the success of AI initiatives within their teams.
With a decade of experience in software development and engineering management, Chris has adeptly transitioned between both software engineering and leadership roles, ranging from Individual Contributor to Director of Engineering. Currently at incident.io, Chris leads several cross-functional product teams and is deeply dedicated to promoting personal and professional growth, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Chris's leadership is characterised by the ability to form high-performing, cross-functional teams, establish robust partnerships, and cultivate an agile, collaborative culture.
View Chris's LeadDev articles and talksYou'll leave the talk feeling inspired and empowered with the tools you need to react to difficult situations and make a real difference in your workplace.
Do you feel like you're constantly surrounded by managers who exhibit toxic behaviours and “shred their team's confidence” (actual quote)? Diverse and inclusive policies may not be enough to stop these individuals from causing harm.
You have to actively drive change by suppressing negative behaviours and transforming toxic managers into better leaders. It's not enough to silently do a good job; You must take an assertive approach to tackle difficult situations with peer managers and those above you to create a positive work environment. However, providing feedback to individuals, especially if it's your boss, can be challenging and may strain the working relationship. In this talk, Alex will give you practical mechanisms to identify and tackle difficult situations with confidence and poise. You'll leave the talk feeling inspired and empowered with the tools you need to react to difficult situations and make a real difference in your workplace. Join us in this talk and let's kick some dick behaviours to the curb!
Alex has been working in Web Development since 2008 in the agency environment and as a freelancer. In early 2014, Alex moved to London and joined Digital Detox, where he has worked for nearly 9 years. In July 2022 Digital Detox has been acquired by EY where Alex led enterprise projects and helped growing the engineering team for one year. Currently Alex looks after Developer Relations at Commerce Layer.
View Alessandro's LeadDev articles and talksAs sponsorship is especially important for members of minoritized communities in tech, Lara Hogan walks through tactics you can employ today to be a sponsor for those around you, too.
To grow our technical leadership skills, it’s critical to lean on one’s network of support.
We often find mentors: people who can give us helpful advice. But what can be even more valuable is finding “sponsors”, who help us find new opportunities and improve the visibility of our work. As sponsorship is especially important for members of minoritized communities in tech, Lara Hogan walks through tactics you can employ today to be a sponsor for those around you, too.
Lara is the VPE at Fly.io and has been an author, coach, and trainer for managers and leaders across the tech industry over the last decade. She champions management as a practice, building fast websites, and celebrating your achievements with donuts (and sometimes sushi). Her latest book, Resilient Management, is here to help those who find themselves responsible for supporting a team of people.
View Lara's LeadDev articles and talksClosing session
Meri is an experienced CTO and leader of technology organisations. She particularly enjoys helping others to level up as technical leaders and managers of organisations and works as a CTO coach and tech advisor / NED to various companies in this capacity through micro-consultancy ChromeRose. She has led teams ranging in size from 30 to 300, in a range of organisations from Procter & Gamble, to the Government Digital Service, award-winning online print company MOO, mobile-first challenger bank Monzo and patient-inspired AI-driven rare disease treatment discovery company Healx, amongst others. A published author and international speaker, she is the chair of The Lead Developer conference and a tech advisor for Kindred Capital. She’s also a trustee at Stonewall, the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ rights charity and together with her wife runs micro-charity One Goes Up to help young women & enby folks pursue STEM education & careers.
View Meri's LeadDev articles and talksThis workshop dives deep into DORA, showing you exactly how to apply data-driven insights in your real-world environment to identify bottlenecks, measure progress, and drive continuous improvement. From selecting key performance indicators to fostering a culture of learning, you'll walk away with actionable strategies to boost your team's velocity, reduce time to market, and achieve your goals.
As engineering leaders, your success is the success of your teams. While success can take many forms, a key indicator is how effectively and quickly your team can deliver on its goals and ship software.
But with so many variables that contribute to how successful a team is - how can you work out what to change to move the needle? And what should you be measuring in the first place?
Ready to go beyond theory and get practical? This workshop dives deep into DORA, showing you exactly how to apply data-driven insights in your real-world environment to identify bottlenecks, measure progress, and drive continuous improvement. From selecting key performance indicators to fostering a culture of learning, you'll walk away with actionable strategies to boost your team's velocity, reduce time to market, and achieve your goals.
Work: Finn leads the EMEA Transformation Practice within Google Cloud Consulting. His team works with Google Cloud's largest customers to kickstart their cloud transformation and optimise their operating model. He's also a contributor to the DORA State of DevOps research program. Play: Keen, if inconsistent, golfer. Advocate for better mental health at work.
View Finn's LeadDev articles and talksRob Edwards, DevOps Technology Practice Lead at Google, helps teams unlock their software delivery, reliability engineering, and platform engineering potential.Drawing on two decades of experience working with amazing teams, he takes a human-centric approach to solving complex technical challenges and transformations. With a coffee often in hand he loves chatting with leaders and practitioners alike sharing stories about his passions in technology, developer experience and the human aspects of technology adoption and transformation.He is part of the Google Cloud DevOps Research and Assessment (DORA) team and contributed to the 2022 and 2023 Accelerate State of DevOps Reports.
View Rob's LeadDev articles and talksn this workshop, we’ll take a look at how you can help yourself and your teams to adopt AI-assisted tools and practices in a human-centered, evidence-based way. We’ll give you an assessment that will allow you to benchmark your AI adoption readiness and respond appropriately to it with strategies that allow you to effectively surface and address worries head-on. By the end of the session, you’ll walk away with a toolkit for understanding how to best guide your engineers and organization through this change.
Generative AI is about to cause a monumental change to the role of the software engineer - in truth, it’s already started.
However many developers are feeling fear and anxiety over the adoption of AI tools in their day-to-day development process. And as leaders, we’re expected to be able to guide our teams in how to adopt generative AI, while managing our anxieties and worries about our ability to successfully adapt to this change.
In this workshop, we’ll take a look at how you can help yourself and your teams to adopt AI-assisted tools and practices in a human-centred, evidence-based way. We’ll give you an assessment that will allow you to benchmark your AI adoption readiness and respond appropriately to it with strategies that allow you to effectively surface and address worries head-on. By the end of the session, you’ll walk away with a toolkit for understanding how to best guide your engineers and organization through this change.
As a Principal Research Scientist in the Developer Success Lab, Carol leverages her expertise in mental health and thoughtful measurement to study how developers cope and thrive through stressful circumstances. Carol has over a decade of experience leading academic and industry research in clinical health, measurement, and human behavior. Carol serves as a research fellow at the Integrated Behavioral Health Research Institute and as a clinical science advisor for Bravely Mental Health. She holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from UMass Boston.
View Carol's LeadDev articles and talksKristen Foster-Marks is passionate about applying evidence-based science to help software teams learn, work, and thrive. She combines eight years in software development and engineering leadership with extensive knowledge in learning science, pedagogy, and classroom-based research to develop innovative workshops, interventions, and curricula that promote effective behavior change on software teams. Kristen actively contributes to the engineering community by writing articles and giving conference talks, aiming to demystify empirical research on software teams for those best equipped to utilize its insights.
View Kristen's LeadDev articles and talksIn this mini workshop we'll talk about the difference between each of these skills and how to know when to use them. You'll learn three key coaching skills and have the opportunity practice deciding which modality to use. You'll walk away more confident in your ability to lead others.
Being an engineering leader requires many skills.
We have to know how to prioritize, manage work to deadlines and perhaps the hardest - lead others. Our role means a shift from doing to guiding and supporting. We must know when to manage, mentor or coach. When we use these modalities well we build capacity in the team, increasing our ability to meet organisational goals. Along with it, people feel valued, we strengthen our culture and create a workplace where people want to come to work.
In this mini-workshop, we'll talk about the difference between each of these skills and how to know when to use them. You'll learn three key coaching skills and have the opportunity to practice deciding which modality to use. You'll walk away more confident in your ability to lead others.
Suzan Bond is an executive coach and organizational strategist. A former COO for Travis CI, she coaches technology leaders. You can find Suzan on Twitter and at SuzanBond.com.
View Suzan's LeadDev articles and talksAdd to your conference experience with a workshop pass and receive an additional full day of tutoring and group roundtable discussion led by host, Meri Williams.