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

AchieversFarhan Thawar, VP Engineering

January 23rd, 2013@fnthawar @xtremelabs

300 -> 436 Members

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experiences@fnthawar@xtremelabs

@fnthawar@xtremelabs




Background• Waterloo Comp Sci/Elec Eng• U of T MBA – Financial Engineering• Trilogy• Celestica• Microsoft• Achievers (!)


Agenda

• Freedom vs. Frameworks• How to work• Career advice


Disclaimer

Source: The Black Swan@fnthawar@xtremelabs

Freedom vs. Frameworks• But first, a story…..


• ROWE


Multitasking is a fail


Parkinson’s Law rules


• Daily standups (company, platform, team)

• Pivotal tracker• DL

Agile


Ship every week


Map• Mastery

–pairing• Autonomy

–No micro managing• Purpose

–Working on stuff being used by millions of people


Physical Space• In-office vs. WFH

–Breakfast hacks• Sit close together vs. offices (Joel and 37Signals)

• Great machines + fast internet• Location


4a) Means as: Formulation vs. Implementation

Rank & File• Implement decisions• Arms and legs• Work in hierarchy• Get “bought-in”• Get controlled

Leaders• Formulate decisions• Brain• Head up hierarchy• Sell to get “buy-in”• Create control procedures

Lower-order

Choices

Higher-order

Choices


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” – Pasi Sahlberg

–“Tight controls cause blowups” – Nasim Taleb


Freedom vs. Frameworks

• Approvals– “You should feel the dangers and stressors” – Nasim Taleb


How to work


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


Socials• Wed social• 3:3 lunches• Friday social• Team events

–Batman!• Interns


Pairing (2:1 Ratio)• Agile everything• Pairing all the time


• “Being busy is a form of laziness”


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

• Democracy vs. dooacracy or decisions over deliberation


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)


Career Advice


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


Deep over broad


Strengths over Weaknesses


Smart over dumb


Low-information diet• Stop reading temporal information (HBR still relevant)

• Reading hierarchy


Air traffic control• I know less than you do


Does it work?


2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20120

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Full Time Employees

Span of control• Average is 8• 150 engineers


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


Quotes• “You guys are doing something amazing” – Fred Wilson

• “I’ve never seen this before in the valley” – Yogen Dalal

• “Uh… wow?” – Brad Feld


Ask me anything: @fnthwar / [email protected]


Thank you and we’re hiring

Work at Achievers

achievers.com/careers

[email protected]@achieverstech

Documents

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