Ship fast without breaking things
Every team slows down as it grows. More people, more code, more meetings, less shipping. It doesn't have to be that way.
These essays dig into velocity, teamwork, and taming complexity โ the engineering side and the people side. They're the thinking behind Scaling Fast, my book on software engineering through hypergrowth.
Essays on shipping fast
46 articles from 2024 ยท show all
May 2024
A better roadmap solves many issues
Many engineering challenges start with your roadmap
Get us over the water, not build us a bridge
effective engineering teams should work *with* their product owner/manager, not *for* them
April 2024
Coordinating at the end is too late
When working: sync first *then* async
From trivial to complex โย 4 software quadrants
You can classify software projects into 4 quadrants from trivial to complex
Approve with comment
A shift in your code review process can boost your team's productivity. Empower authors to make the call.
March 2024
Architecture is like a path in the woods
You're doing too much. Sit back, relax, see how people *want* to use the code. THEN build the abstraction.
Code yourself out of the job
Don't get stuck being a critical member of the team.
The answer to 5 soloists in a trench coat
Team dysfunction where everyone's a soloist? Try this fix: Force the team to work on ONE story at a time.
5 soloists in a trench coat
Ever felt like your software team is just soloists in a trench coat? You may be right!
February 2024
The market always wins
No amount of growth hacking, investor money, or a/b testing will save you, if people don't want what you have.
Why you need a regular retro
Agile is something you are, not something you do.
5 tips for effective standups
Talk about today, not yesterday
Can I get your opinion
Books start with a detailed outline that's easy to change. That's when they're easy to change and where you can help.
January 2024
Ask me a question
Swizec is writing "Scaling Fast", a book about his journey in a 20x hyper-growth startup. Questions?
Be action oriented
Unearth the surprising connection between the CIA's Simple Sabotage Manual and your productivity, and learn how to transform tiny actions into big wins. Dive into Swizec's engaging exploration of how small actions can make a huge impact on your progress.