Articles by Dan DeMeyere
What does a VP of Engineering do?Dan covers: • A VP of Engineering (VPE) is essential for ensuring the trains run on time and identifying the best route to reach the desired destination • There are different roles within engineering leadership, including Lead Engineer, Director of Engineering, and VPE, each with their own responsibilities and scope of influence • The VPE's role is more abstract than a director or lead and requires them to weigh in on the 40,000 ft view to identify trends and orchestrate the harmony of engineering trains • To expand their influence, a VPE should focus on using leverage, context, and loosely coupled, highly aligned teams to create or improve tracks Leverage refers to strategic application of input force for an outsized output force, and a VPE should seek to maximize their sphere of influence over the engineering organization • Context is key to scaling a talented team, and the VPE should focus on keeping the team well-informed by providing business, customer, and technical context • A VPE needs to obsess over questions that affect the entire team, such as hiring priorities and plans, how engineering structure scales with the hiring plan, the evolution of culture, and whether roadmaps are aligned with the needs of the business and architecture.