Make Work Not Suck Improving the Developer Experience
summary
Argues for measurable DevEx actions: adopt four core engineering metrics plus regular self‑assessments and retros, run a live poll via QR to surface pain points, and use practical fixes like automated deployments and smaller deploy scope to stop 3 a.m. on‑call wakeups. Treat technical debt as a business risk — cites a Southwest incident that cost about $1B — and use team rituals (a personal handbook exercise, annual offsites, Radical Candor), clearer estimates and frequent updates to reduce stress and confusion.
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chapters (12)
- 0:00Introduction to work culture
- 1:49Measuring engineering success
- 3:33Key engineering metrics
- 6:22Taking action on workplace issues
- 7:26Addressing technical debt
- 8:30Handling tense work situations
- 10:18Building coworker relationships
- 11:39Creating team handbooks
- 13:04Effective communication skills
- 13:46Managing estimation expectations
- 15:11Workplace improvements poll
- 15:51Summary and psychological safety
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