1 / 44

Achievers Farhan Thawar, VP Engineering January 23rd, 2013 @ fnthawar @ xtremelabs

Achievers Farhan Thawar, VP Engineering January 23rd, 2013 @ fnthawar @ xtremelabs. 300 -> 436 Members. meetup.com/ achieverstech achievers.com/tech. The world ’ s top brands partner with us to prototype and develop outstanding mobile, tablet and smart TV experiences. @ fnthawar

arva
Download Presentation

Achievers Farhan Thawar, VP Engineering January 23rd, 2013 @ fnthawar @ xtremelabs

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Achievers • Farhan Thawar, VP Engineering • January 23rd, 2013 • @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  2. 300 -> 436 Members meetup.com/achieverstech achievers.com/tech

  3. The world’s top brands partner with us to prototype and develop outstanding mobile, tablet and smart TV experiences @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  4. @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  5. @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  6. @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  7. @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  8. Background • Waterloo Comp Sci/ElecEng • U of T MBA – Financial Engineering • Trilogy • Celestica • Microsoft • Achievers (!) @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  9. Agenda • Freedom vs. Frameworks • How to work • Career advice @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  10. Disclaimer Source: The Black Swan @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  11. Freedom vs. Frameworks • But first, a story….. @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  12. ROWE @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  13. Multitasking is a fail @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  14. Parkinson’s Law rules @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  15. Agile • Daily standups (company, platform, team) • Pivotal tracker • DL @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  16. Ship every week @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  17. Map • Mastery • pairing • Autonomy • No micro managing • Purpose • Working on stuff being used by millions of people @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  18. Physical Space • In-office vs. WFH • Breakfast hacks • Sit close together vs. offices (Joel and 37Signals) • Great machines + fast internet • Location @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  19. Higher-order Choices Lower-order Choices 4a) Means as: Formulation vs. Implementation • Formulate decisions • Brain • Head up hierarchy • Sell to get “buy-in” • Create control procedures Leaders Rank & File • Implement decisions • Arms and legs • Work in hierarchy • Get “bought-in” • Get controlled @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  20. Freedom vs. Frameworks • Flat hierarchy • Well not that flat now…..but, few approvals • Responsibility not accountability • “Accountability is what’s left once responsibility has been subtracted” – PasiSahlberg • “Tight controls cause blowups” – NasimTaleb @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  21. Freedom vs. Frameworks • Approvals • “You should feel the dangers and stressors” – NasimTaleb @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  22. How to work @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  23. At a high level • “Managers create work for each other” – Tim Burns • No Policies (rework) • 1:1’s • Faster to talk to someone than email/phone/IM @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  24. Socials • Wed social • 3:3 lunches • Friday social • Team events • Batman! • Interns @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  25. Pairing (2:1 Ratio) • Agile everything • Pairing all the time @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  26. “Being busy is a form of laziness” @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  27. 1. Consider options and make decision, informing other party subsequently 2. Provide options to other party along with own recommendation on choice 3. Generate options for other party and ask other party to make choice 4. Describe a problem to other party and ask for specific help in structuring it 5. Ask other party to solve problem, but make it clear you will watch and learn for next time 6. Drop problem on other party’s desk and signal helplessness Responsibility Ladder @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  28. Democracy vs. dooacracy or decisions over deliberation @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  29. How to Work • Remove processes • “Let process be implemented by those who practice it” – Yishan Wong, first Facebook Eng Manager • The great decider! • Fight fires/sales calls/unblock engineers (or anyone else) @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  30. Career Advice @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  31. Career Imprinting • “Where you work early in your career shapes the kind of leader you become later on” - HBR @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  32. Deep over broad @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  33. Strengths over Weaknesses @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  34. Smart over dumb @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  35. Low-information diet • Stop reading temporal information (HBR still relevant) • Reading hierarchy @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  36. Air traffic control • I know less than you do @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  37. Does it work? @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  38. Span of control • Average is 8 • 150 engineers @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  39. Stats • Can hire 60+ coops from Waterloo in first round (get more resumes than FB, MSFT, Twitter, Apple, Square, Yelp, Foursquare) • Low attrition • Always outrun other teams • Less hero syndrome • More female engineers (17%) • Happy people @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  40. Quotes • “You guys are doing something amazing” – Fred Wilson • “I’ve never seen this before in the valley” – YogenDalal • “Uh… wow?” – Brad Feld @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  41. Thank you and we’re hiring  Ask me anything: @fnthwar / farhan@xtremelabs.com @fnthawar @xtremelabs

  42. Work at Achievers achievers.com/careers tech@achievers.com @achieverstech

More Related