Introduction
This guide is designed to streamline our approach to building products at Straddle, drawing on best practices from both big-tech and high-growth startups. It covers essential aspects of project initiation, execution, and completion, emphasizing the role of engineers in leading projects.
Engineering-led
We are adopting a progressive approach to project management by placing technical leads from our product and eng department at the helm of our prodect delivery. This decision is rooted in a strategic vision that recognizes the benefits of engineering leadership in driving successful project outcomes.
As an early-stage startup, our adoption of an engineering-led project management approach brings unique advantages that are particularly beneficial in a fast-paced, innovation-driven environment.
Advantages for the org
Expertise First: Engineering leads bring deep technical knowledge to the forefront of project planning and execution, ensuring that decisions are made with a strong understanding of the technical implications and possibilities. Better Decision-Making: Having a technical lead at the project's core facilitates more efficient decision-making processes, as technical complexities and challenges are understood and addressed swiftly. Built for Growth: This model scales effectively, accommodating expanding teams and evolving project scopes. Attracting and Retaining Talent: We can attract top engineering talent by offering meaningful leadership opportunities and a dynamic work environment. Balanced Approach: This model ensures that while technical aspects are emphasized, the product's overall value and appeal to users are not compromised. And engineers are not told “how” to build by non-technical management. Benefits for engineers
Leadership: This approach provides engineers with valuable leadership opportunities, aiding in their professional development and career progression. Skill Enhancement: Engineers in lead roles gain experience in areas beyond coding, such as stakeholder management, strategic planning, and team leadership. Empowerment: Encouraging engineers to lead projects fosters a culture of innovation and shared ownership, enhancing team morale and collaboration.
Definition of a Technical Lead
Role Overview
The Technical Lead at Straddle is entrusted with steering the technical aspects of a project from inception to completion. This is not a “job title”.
As the engineering team grows, the technical lead should be cycled on a per-project basis.
First-time project leads needed to strengthen leadership skills before being thrown into deep water. There are multiple things a project lead needs to do, from facilitating meetings, reporting, calling out risks, coming up with mitigation strategies, and others.
This role is not just limited to senior members but is open to engineers at all levels, promoting leadership development and skill diversification across the team.
General Responsibilities
Technical Expertise: Possesses a deep understanding of the technical aspects of the project, capable of making informed decisions about architecture, technologies, and implementation strategies. Planning and Execution: Leads the planning, execution, and delivery of engineering projects. This includes translating Product Requirements Documents (PRDs) into detailed technical specifications and actionable tasks. Issue and Task Management: Utilizes tools like Linear to create, manage, and track issues and sub-issues, ensuring they align with the project's goals and timelines. Team Collaboration: Works closely with both the project team and other internal teams, including the product team, to ensure a cohesive approach to project execution. Communication: Serves as the primary technical point of contact for the project, responsible for clear and consistent communication with stakeholders, addressing technical questions, and providing project updates. Feedback and Adaptation: Actively seeks and incorporates feedback from team members and stakeholders, adapting the project plan and execution as needed to meet project objectives and overcome challenges. “You know who the best managers are? They’re the great individual contributors who never ever want to be a manager, but decide they have to be a manager because no one else will do as good of a job as them.”
-Steve Jobs Project lead @ Straddle
Issue Definition and Management
Translating PRDs into Actionable Tasks: The project lead is responsible for converting the project specifications and PRDs into clear, actionable issues in Linear. Issue Creation in Linear: Systematically create issues and sub-issues in Linear, ensuring that they accurately reflect the project's objectives and requirements. Uses milestones to track progress. Regular Issue Review and Updates: Maintain and update the status of issues in Linear. Stakeholder Engagement and Clarification
Functionality Clarification: Serve as the primary point of contact for any functionality questions or clarifications. Stakeholder Updates: Provide stakeholders with weekly updates on project progress, potential risks, and changes in project direction. Use built-in “Project Updates” tool. Wrapping Up and Transition
Project Completion: Ensure that all aspects of the project are completed as per the defined goals and standards. Post-Project Documentation: Create detailed documentation upon project completion. Product + Engineering = Good
Better Execution
Balanced Decision-Making: Decisions are made collaboratively, balancing technical feasibility with user desirability and business viability. Unified Approach to Product Development: Engineering leads focus on technical execution, while product managers ensure the product's value proposition and user experience align with the defined vision. Shared Ownership: Both teams share ownership of the project outcomes, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose. In Straddle's engineering-led project management model, the product trio (PM, PD, EL) plays a vital role, complementing the rest of the product team (project lead/engineers) with leadership with strategic, user-focused, and market-driven insights. This integrated approach not only leads to superior project outcomes but also fosters a collaborative, dynamic environment where both product and engineering teams contribute their strengths towards shared success.
References
Building @ Straddle
