The reason we’re in this mess is that tech teams lack guidance. I hope they bring back Enterprise Architecture with a vengeance. I see it everyday, rank and file engineers either don’t have time or the vision to design the next generation of applications at Nike. One good architect is worth 10 SW3s if you give them the authority to see their vision through.
14 replies (most recent on top)
Watch out where we steer global tech or we might drive our jobs into the dITCh!
Might not be the best at complaining, but certainly the best vantage point. Some more junior (in band, not experience) devs have been here twice as long or more than some of our current senior leaders.
We’ve seen what good looks like. And we know what bad smells like. Look at the up votes here. Look at the engagement scores. Look at the 360 feedback. Look at the retro’s that EA would have conducted post delivery (you didn’t).
The overwhelming majority of response is a group of doers wanting more from those in leadership positions.
You can continue to ignore it, just like everyone else. You can ignore all the different methods feedback has been provided. You can lambast those that have provided the feedback.
But, you cannot change the fact that attitude is a reflection of leadership. There is no healthy culture left at Nike, both in and out of tech. And those in leadership positions simply aren’t capable leaders. Consider the end of year performance review process. We look at business results. And team results. What SD-VP has delivered meaningful business results? Which have materially improved or even attempted to invest in their team?
“Win Now… or the layoffs will continue until morale improves…” is hardly a motivating strategy. But here we are.
Do you really think we’re the problem?
Love that this has unanimous support. I know, I jinxed it. But couldn’t agree more. As someone from one of those central teams… our entire existence was based on having misaligned senior tech leaders.
@jj KK
I don’t think anyone said it could be done without those roles. The people in those roles have lost a quarter of a trillion in company value. I don’t need an EA to tell me that is bad.
So let's summarize all these haters post on this site:
EAs did sh-t
VPs did sh-t
Sr Dirs did sh-t
PEs did sh-t
Dir/Managers did sh-t
CEO/CFO did sh-t
So basically everyone who is a lead/senior or below have the right set of information and can steer the company to profitablity without any of the above the above roles.
This is a classic case of "Dunning-Kruger effect". You only see/know a small part of the puzzle. It will take you years and decades before you get to know the 25% of the puzzle.
Keep hating ! That's what you are best at !
Taj Mahal is North Star
EA was brain dead cargo culting. so much waste and overengineered cr-p came from that. and yeah, like the one person said, these id--ts got promoted for it
This post reads like inflammatory satire. OP is either a great humorist or exceptionally delusional.
EA didn’t do or lead s h I t. Nothing but a Lego slide of other peoples work with nothing but arm-chair quarterbacking after the fact. EA slowed everything down, and had no value add whatsoever.
We had EA. And our stack is frail , fragmented, and disjointed. Strategies without execution are wish lists of the inept.
I have something for you to componentize.
@bb they don’t need people with degrees. The need people with track records.
The reason why Nike needed central teams like EA is because we have Sr. Dir and Dir who don't really understand engineering. To mask that problem, GT comes up with many central teams to help teams with architecture, governance, quality, and various excellence work. Good engineering leaders should just carve out resources to ensure these are done in their organizations. There were good architects in EA, but I'd fix issues not by having more central teams, but by revamping engineering leadership. I can't imagine any tech company hiring engineering managers without engineering degrees, yet Nike has many Dir and Sr. Dir with non-tech background.
EA was horrible. Sadly we awarded many of those architects the title of PE when EA disbanded. Many haven’t built anything in over a decade so essentially they’re just expensive dead weight.
I don’t agree! Last org was terrible! They were experts on lucid flows, and delaying solutions!
Chuck Norris was the only one that could fix this.
The previous architectural organization was terrible, full of constant speculation, generalities, and no added value. The same is true for the people at the VP and SrDir, Dir levels, who have no strategy or vision. They live from quarter to quarter.