In this episode of the LEAD Podcast, recorded live from Techorama, hosts Geert van der Cruijsen and Rene van Osnabrugge talk about building strong engineering cultures with guest Jennifer Wadella, VP of Front-End Engineering at Bitovi. Jennifer talks about the importance of establishing a positive engineering culture and how it directly impacts productivity and business outcomes.
She breaks down the components of engineering culture into values, beliefs, norms, language, and rituals, and discusses practical steps for defining and nurturing these elements within a team. The conversation touches on the challenges of aligning technical skills with cultural fit, the significance of hiring for culture addition rather than just culture fit, and the vital role of project management in supporting autonomy and visibility.