In June 2024, I had the privilege of travelling from Auckland, New Zealand, to speak at StaffPlus London - an unforgettable experience. Speaking at such a high-profile event, surrounded by so many talented Staff+ Engineers, was truly special. What made this event particularly memorable wasn’t just the prominence of the event but the opportunity to share something that has become deeply important to me: how the timeless teachings of W. Edwards Deming remain as relevant today as ever in the constantly evolving world of technology.

Learning about Deming has led me to another incredible thinker - Russell Ackoff. Born in 1919, Ackoff is best known for his contributions to Systems Thinking.

In one of his lectures, From Mechanistic to Systemic Thinking, Ackoff discusses systems and the difference between analysis and synthesis. He explains that the essential properties of a system are unique to the system as a whole. These properties arise from the interactions between the parts of the system. In other words, a system is more than the sum of its parts; it is the product of their interactions.

In the fast-paced world of tech, leadership styles can make or break an organisation’s success. Are you driving growth with a developmental mindset or merely maintaining the status quo with a transactional approach?

One of the best books I’ve read recently is Gene Kim and Steven Spear’s Wiring the Winning Organisation. It distils many great leadership theories into clear, actionable concepts. At the very end of the book, in Appendices A and B, they talk about the differences between transactional and developmental leadership. This is something I think about a lot but didn’t know the precise terms for until reading these sections.

It’s been about a month since I received my much-anticipated Apple Vision Pro. Truth be told, I ordered it as soon as it became available in the US in early February 2024. With the help of some truly wonderful friends, I figured it wouldn’t be too hard to get my hands on one. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, but after jumping through various hoops, I finally got my hands on it in late March. I’m endlessly thankful to my friends for everything they had to go through - I hope to be able to repay the favour one day!

Strategies play a critical role in aligning teams towards a common goal, especially in large organisations. Being able to create, review and execute a good strategy is an important aspect of many leadership roles, yet it’s a hard one to nail. Even defining what makes a strategy truly effective can be surprisingly challenging - ask ten different leaders and you’re likely to get ten different interpretations.

More often than not, what people describe as a strategy is actually an aspirational goal or vision. They articulate where we want to go but not how to get there.

For years, the core of software engineering has remained fairly stable despite the fast pace of technological advancement. We’ve had other “-First” methodologies like Code-First and API-First, which reshaped aspects of the SDLC, but not fundamentally so. However, with the advent of generative AI, we’re left wondering: what will AI-First development look like, and how will it change our familiar landscape? As a software engineer who has loved being one for many years, I’m truly intrigued by AI-First development - how it might transform software building processes, redefine software engineers’ roles, and what we can do now to best prepare for this new world.

Reflection is something I really enjoy and do rather frequently. There’s something about revisiting old memories with fresh eyes that I find fascinating and satisfying.

One memory that frequently pops into my mind from my high school days is the time I received a Magritte art book as a prize for my achievements in mathematics. This really threw me. Had there been a mix-up? An art book for a science nerd like me seemed so out of place. But, as it turned out, that’s exactly where its magic lay.

Returning to work after the holiday season, I find myself reflecting on a rather remarkable 2023. It was a year where innovative technologies like generative AI and advancements in quantum computing moved beyond mere buzzwords, inspiring me to delve deeper into my curiosity and passions. This reawakening not only captured my attention but also reinforced my belief in the transformative power of technology. Discovering Deming and his philosophy was a turning point for me, providing clarity and reinforcing my principles in quality, continuous improvement and leadership.

I felt that my first proper blog post after a 10+ year blogging hiatus should be one about something that I’m really passionate about and close to my heart, so let’s dive into a topic that’s been on my mind for years.

Many of us who embark upon a career in tech do so because we love working with computers. We become engineers because we’re curious beings, who thrive on the challenge of solving tricky problems. We like designing, building, debugging, and fixing systems, and thankfully, there’s no shortage of this type of work (at least not yet - I’m convinced the recent advancements in AI may change this, but that’s a topic for another day).