79a: Engineers have more power than they think

I consistently receive requests from the team to reduce tech debt. Every time, I say similar things. I want to share them here.

As a software engineer, you have more power than you think.

When you’re coding for a new feature, you have the power to refactor a specific part of the codebase. You don’t need any permission.

When you see that reducing debt in a specific part of the codebase makes the next engineer’s job faster and the results are visible quickly, you have the power to reduce tech debt. You don’t need any permission.

When you recognize that changing a system’s architecture can enhance its reliability, maintainability, extensibility, or availability, you have the power to devise a structured solution and implementation plan, rather than waiting for divine permission.

When you see that changing something in the codebase or in the tools we use will reduce cognitive load or maintenance efforts, you have the power to do so. You don’t need permission.

Most of these things don’t need to be separate work tickets with estimates. You can easily embed all of these into your existing work. If you are punished for doing something like that, then you’re in the wrong environment.

Don’t forget, as an engineer, you make most of the decisions of organizations, although they might seem trivial at first glance. Each decision you make every day affects the future of the organization you’re in.

• Related Note(s):
  • This is the complement to managing tech debt from a leadership perspective. Leaders justify to the business; engineers act with autonomy.
  • Engineer autonomy is about proving you can work independently. This note expands on what that autonomy looks like in practice.
  • Teams need emancipation, not empowerment. Engineers already have the power—they just need to recognize and use it.
  • Giving ownership through delegation works from the top down. This is about engineers taking ownership from the bottom up.
  • Decision-making strategies apply here—if your decision leaked, could you justify it? If yes, you have the power to make it.