An eloquent and principles focused dissection of what makes a truly effective engineer. The core message is, 'Time is our most finite asset, and level — the value we produce per unit time — allows us to direct our time toward what matters most. Edmond first helps you develop the right mindset, understanding what leverage is, how to find activities that lead to it, how to prioritize and how to cultivate the capabilities to take advantage of leverage. Good execution is around the right tools and processes which enable quick iteration and feedback loops to drive and deliver more value over time. I really enjoyed his emphasis on solid engineering onboarding as a high leverage activity.
The concepts emphasized in the book are all pretty high leverage and the book is organized very efficiently, although, I can see how some would view it as very formulaic. I feel mid-level to fresh senior engineers would get the most value out of this book, beginners can still gain value in having the mindset early on, but may not have all the capabilities to execute all the recommends just yet.
Motivations to Read
I wanted to focus on more fundamentals a couple years into my engineering career.
3 Reasons to Read
- For engineers who want to learn about engineering practices.
- Soft-skill oriented career advice.
- How to be more effective as an engineer.
Notable Quotes
“Working extra hours can hurt team dynamics. Not everyone on the team will have the flexibility to pitch in the extra hours. Perhaps one team member has children at home whom he has to take care of. Maybe someone else has a 2-week trip planned in the upcoming months, or she has to commute a long distance and can't work as many hours. Whereas once the team jelled together and everyone worked fairly and equally, now those who work more hours have to carry the weight of those who can't or don't. The result can be bitterness or resentment between members of a formerly-happy team.”
“Thinking early in your career about how to help your co-workers succeed instills the right habits that in turn will lead to your own success.”
“To be effective engineers, we need to be able to identify which activities produce more impact with smaller time investments.”
Notes for this book are still being transcribed.
