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Shipping is a business imperative, sure, but it’s also a management imperative.
A team that isn’t shipping has a burnout Sword of Damocles hovering above its head.
A team that isn’t shipping has a burnout Sword of Damocles hovering above its head.
Early in my career I worked at a startup that got Sherlocked. But they had cash in the bank so there was time to pivot to a more viable direction. A happy ending (for them, not me, I left 
) because they got a decent exit eventually
But meanwhile, my god, did I learn some shit
) because they got a decent exit eventuallyBut meanwhile, my god, did I learn some shit
Management could not make up its mind about direction, so you had engineers on crunch for months, working on features that got scrapped.
All this effort, no ship.
When we work hard and make no progress, that’s a bad feeling. Futility and powerlessness seeps into the bones.
All this effort, no ship.
When we work hard and make no progress, that’s a bad feeling. Futility and powerlessness seeps into the bones.
Code is not and should not be precious. Sometimes you have to throw it away.
But there’s a big difference between killing a darling because real users just can’t make sense of it (it happens!)
versus killing it before it even reaches users, before it comes close to maturity
But there’s a big difference between killing a darling because real users just can’t make sense of it (it happens!)
versus killing it before it even reaches users, before it comes close to maturity
The business needs to ship because without iteration, you can’t shape the product into what the market needs and wants
But the TEAM needs to ship because the full cycle of shipping is what builds team fitness. Shipping is proof that your efforts matter, that your skills are real
But the TEAM needs to ship because the full cycle of shipping is what builds team fitness. Shipping is proof that your efforts matter, that your skills are real
Shipping takes cross-disciplinary effort, consistent communication, WORKING processes
If you’re shipping, it means a whole lot of other virtuous cycles are working, and interacting, correctly.
If you’re shipping, it means a whole lot of other virtuous cycles are working, and interacting, correctly.
Shipping is also a fractal process. As a consultant, I view my job as shipping as often as possible, even in the early days.
That can look like regular demos, or a regular cadence of builds. The sensation of progress is essential to everyone involved.
That can look like regular demos, or a regular cadence of builds. The sensation of progress is essential to everyone involved.
Working in small chunks that demonstrate progress is how you build up the velocity to accomplish the biggest pushes.
You don’t have to ship to the whole wide world. Just getting to the next step for your teammates to evaluate and iterate upon can be really powerful.
You don’t have to ship to the whole wide world. Just getting to the next step for your teammates to evaluate and iterate upon can be really powerful.
Shipping is an essential proxy for engineering org health. Not just because the suits want their toy and they want it now
But because people want to accomplish things, want to grow, want their days to matter. Debug that process and so much becomes possible.
But because people want to accomplish things, want to grow, want their days to matter. Debug that process and so much becomes possible.
