As I prepare to onboard two new developers today (exciting!), part of the conversation will inevitably be around orienting them to my current philosophy of delivering software. I figured I’d share that here too.
First, Caveats
I believe these sorts of things are context-dependent. My current context is as a VP in a smaller organization who’s leading multiple SaaS product efforts with a small team while building up our delivery acumen. And it’s going well.
Some – probably many – of these notes may be widely held; you’ll certainly see them echoed in thinking about agile, devops, and modern leadership. I’m not claiming to have invented these things; I stand on the shoulders of giants. This is a summary of how I’d explain these things in conversation.
What is Innovation?
As VP of Innovation & Products, Innovation is right there in the title. What does that mean?
There are a lot of definitions that I like, but I’ve settled on my own language:
Innovation is the act of continually reinventing ourselves and our approach so we can add value and delight.
I think creating delight applies both to our customers and to our fellow colleagues.