Morgan VanDerLeest
Trying to make software engineering + leadership a better place to work. Dad. Book nerd. Pleasant human being.
Appears in 12 Episodes
Where's my innovation?
In this episode, Morgan and Eddie address a question from a newly appointed VP of Engineering at a Series C company who is struggling to foster innovation. The discuss...
Switching context
Eddie and Morgan discuss the challenges of productivity and time management in R&D organizations. The conversation delves into the inefficiencies caused by context swi...
Systemic Imposter Syndrome
Morgan and Eddie focus on the topic of imposter syndrome in engineering organizations. The discussion centers on the impact of imposter syndrome and associated mindset...
The Productivity Paranoia
Eddie and Morgan are joined by guest Erin Doyle, a staff software engineer at Lob. Together, they delve into developer productivity, exploring the balance between deve...
Unit Economics is a thing
Morgan and Eddie explore the often-taboo topic of money in engineering organizations by tackling listener questions about explaining layoffs and budget cuts to a team....
People analytics
In this episode, Morgan and Eddie pivot from their usual Q&A format to discuss the crucial topic of individual performance assessment, particularly timely during mid-y...
Breaking silos
Morgan and Eddie address a listener's concern about navigating silos in a rapidly growing engineering team. They discuss how silos form, their impact on productivity, ...
How predictable can software engineering be?
In this episode, Morgan and Eddie respond to a listener who is struggling to deliver an AI-based internal product for customer support on time. The discussion covers p...
Valuation of Values
In this episode, Eddie and Morgan discuss the significance and impact of company values, focusing on how to ensure they are effectively implemented and upheld within a...
Creating owners
In this episode, Eddie and Morgan explore the topic of creating ownership within teams and organizations. They discuss what it means to be an owner, how to create an e...
What's an effective manager?
In this episode, Eddie and Morgan discuss the question of what makes an effective manager. They delve into the key competencies and attributes that effective managers ...
Who needs managers anyway?
In this episode, Eddie and Morgan discuss the question of whether or not engineering organizations can run effectively without any managers. They delve into the underl...