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Leveraging Software Platforms

Roman Pichler

Be Clear on What a Software Platform Is. Different people have suggested different definitions for the term software platform. Let me briefly share mine: I view such a platform as a collection of software assets that are used by several products, as the following picture illustrates. But platforms come with potential drawbacks.

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Run Less Software

Intercom, Inc.

The same is true in software. In this battle, I’ve found a secret weapon hidden within one of our core engineering strategies, an idea called Run Less Software. As well as being a critical philosophy behind how we build software, it also represents how I feel about the software industry and technology in general.

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Five star advice: Insider tips for dealing with software review sites

Intercom, Inc.

Some 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendations, reason enough why every business should be concerned with who reviews their product and what they have to say about it. What do we mean by the term “review sites”? Not all review sites are made equal. Peer review sites.

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Building Intercom from home: Software delivery in challenging times

Intercom, Inc.

We’d like to share some insights from what we’ve learned so far about software delivery and operations over the past few weeks of working from home during COVID-19 , and how we as an engineering team have adjusted to this unprecedented, unpredictable situation. New situation, new processes?

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When should engineering managers write code?

Intercom, Inc.

Therefore, coding activities may become a distraction from what is really important in your new position. Maintaining respect: When your reports see you’re willing and able to do coding work, it can help cultivate and maintain their respect in you as a manager. When should you write code? Code reviewing pull requests.

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Dealing with an Underperforming Development Team

Roman Pichler

A development team does a good job if the following three conditions are fulfilled: First, the group reliably meets the agreed sprint goals and delivers product increments that offer a great user experience and exhibit the desired software quality. Third, the team observes sustainable pace. But this would be wrong.

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A Leader's Guide to Metrics Reviews

Sachin Rekhi

One practice that both companies established was weekly executive-level metrics reviews. I've come to believe that establishing such a metrics review meeting is critical for developing an effective data-driven culture and I wanted to share some of the best practices around doing so. Why metrics reviews matter.