How 10X Engineers Think: Beyond Just Shipping Features

In a recent Ask Me Anything (AMA) session with Vikram, our CEO, a recurring theme emerged: many engineers in our organization feel burdened by Business Unit (BU) tasks and yearn to work on what they perceive as “core engineering” problems. This sentiment is not unique to our company; it’s a common refrain in the tech industry. Engineers often feel that building screens, writing CRUD operations, and supporting business workflows don’t qualify as “real” engineering. But let’s take a step back and consider what truly defines great engineering.

The Myth of “Core Engineering”

First, let’s debunk the myth that “core engineering” is only about solving abstract, theoretical problems or building groundbreaking algorithms. While these are undoubtedly important, they represent just one facet of engineering. The reality is that the most impactful engineering often happens in the context of business needs. Consider the following examples from the history of computer science:

1. Bill Gates and Microsoft: When Bill Gates started Microsoft, his initial focus wasn’t on creating revolutionary algorithms or inventing new programming paradigms. Instead, he focused on solving a very practical business problem: making personal computing accessible to the masses. Microsoft’s early work on BASIC interpreters and later on Windows was driven by the need to meet business demands. Yet, these efforts laid the foundation for the modern software industry.

2. Steve Jobs and Apple: Steve Jobs is often celebrated for his visionary products like the iPhone and MacBook. However, what made Apple successful wasn’t just the creation of these devices but the relentless focus on solving real-world problems. The iPhone, for instance, wasn’t just a piece of hardware; it was a platform that simplified complex tasks for millions of users. Jobs understood that engineering excellence is deeply intertwined with business success.

3. Jeff Bezos and Amazon: Amazon started as an online bookstore, but Jeff Bezos and his team quickly realised that to scale, they needed to solve complex engineering problems related to logistics, data storage, and distributed systems. The result was AWS (Amazon Web Services), which not only solved Amazon’s internal problems but also revolutionised the entire tech industry by providing scalable cloud infrastructure.

The 10X Engineer Mindset

Great engineers — the 10X kind — understand that their role isn’t just about completing tasks; it’s about creating lasting impact. They see beyond the immediate requirements and think about how their work can shape the future. Here’s how they do it:

1. Optimising for Scalability: When faced with a seemingly mundane task like building a CRUD interface, a great engineer doesn’t just stop at delivering the feature. They think about how to design a scalable architecture that can handle future growth. For example, Google’s early engineers didn’t just build a search engine; they created a distributed system that could scale to handle billions of queries.

2. Building Platforms, Not Just Features: Great engineers don’t just solve the problem at hand; they build platforms that simplify complex tasks for others. Consider Linus Torvalds, who didn’t just write an operating system for his personal use. He created Linux, a platform that powers everything from smartphones to supercomputers.

3. Applying Engineering Principles: Principles like DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) and the Open-Closed Principle (software entities should be open for extension but closed for modification) are not just theoretical concepts. They are tools that great engineers use to future-proof their systems. For instance, the creators of the Unix operating system applied these principles to create a system that remains relevant decades later.

4. Taking Ownership: Great engineers take ownership of their work. They act as code janitors, refactoring and optimising whatever crosses their path. They ensure that today’s problems won’t repeat tomorrow. This mindset is what led to the creation of tools like Git by Linus Torvalds, which has become an essential part of modern software development.

Engineering for the Future

Engineering is not just about delivering features; it’s about shaping the future with thoughtful, scalable design. The real impact of engineering lies in how we solve problems, not just what problems we solve. Here are some ways we can push boundaries and build for tomorrow:

1. Creating Guardrails: Great engineers create guardrails that improve processes and prevent future issues. For example, the development of continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines has revolutionised how software is delivered, ensuring that code is always in a deployable state.

2. Enabling Others: By building platforms and tools, great engineers enable others to focus on higher-level problems. Consider the impact of open-source projects like Kubernetes, which has simplified container orchestration for thousands of organisations.

3. Reducing Friction: Great engineers find opportunities to reduce friction in workflows. For instance, the creation of IDEs (Integrated Development Environments) like Visual Studio Code has made coding more accessible and efficient for millions of developers.

Conclusion

The next time you feel burdened by BU tasks, remember that great engineering is not about the nature of the task but how you approach it. Whether you’re building a simple CRUD interface or optimising a complex algorithm, the key is to think beyond the immediate requirements and focus on creating lasting impact. As engineers, we have the power to shape the future, one line of code at a time. Let’s continue to push boundaries and build for tomorrow.

Call to Action: What are your thoughts on the role of engineering in driving business success? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below. Let’s continue the conversation and inspire each other to build a better future.