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RubyConf 2018 - Sweat the Small Stuff by Aaron Harpole There is nothing quite like the excitement of leading a team of engineers while your company is in the middle of a growth spurt. Before you know it you start to notice that the work habits that used to work great just don’t seem to be that effective anymore. In much the way that cooking for two is quite different from cooking for two hundred, building your systems for scale requires a different approach to your work. In this talk we will explore antipatterns that start to show up during growth and some techniques that you can use to address them.
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In the talk titled "Sweat the Small Stuff" presented at RubyConf 2018, Aaron Harpole explores the challenges and changes team leaders face when their companies undergo rapid growth. He emphasizes that while excitement accompanies a growing team, the transition from small to large can diminish productivity and complicate workflows. Harpole identifies key characteristics of small teams, such as their ability to ship features quickly, maintain shared understanding, and operate with fewer overheads. He argues that scaling teams must focus on improving productivity rather than merely hiring more staff. Harpole suggests delaying new hires and instead investing in existing team members' efficiency, recommending solutions such as acquiring faster hardware and optimizing Continuous Integration (CI) setups. He discusses the importance of crafting a thoughtful recruiting process, emphasizing the need for leaders to take an active role in attracting talent, building genuine relationships with candidates, and communicating the company's unique value proposition during interviews. As teams expand, he notes, the complexities of processes, documentation, and meeting culture increase. Leading larger teams requires an adjustment in management styles, emphasizing the necessity of onboarding processes and the importance of creating a positive meeting culture. Harpole illustrates the concepts by discussing the potential pitfalls of organizational metrics-over-ethics, citing real-world examples and emphasizing a leadership approach that supports human growth and team dynamics. Ultimately, he concludes that successful leadership involves embracing both technology and the human elements that underpin effective team collaboration.
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