Insights Gained from Six Years in Big Tech: Keys to Success
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Chapter 1: The Unwritten Principles of Effective System Design
After six years in the tech industry as a software engineer, I’ve learned that it’s often the unwritten principles that truly matter, rather than the explicit ones. These unwritten rules encompass approaches that extend beyond your formal job description and significantly enhance your growth as an engineer, often leading to promotions.
These guidelines, akin to tribal knowledge, are typically shared in informal settings like coffee breaks or mentorship sessions, passed down through various stages of a software engineering career. Here, I will outline several key patterns that are vital for successfully executing products and designing systems.
Section 1.1: Understanding Decision Frameworks
In system design, perfection is an unrealistic goal. One of the primary objectives in system design interviews is to evaluate candidates' understanding of various trade-offs. Recognizing how to develop short-term, mid-term, and long-term solutions—while balancing trade-offs—can significantly enhance the decision-making process for your team.
It's critical to consider the lifespan of your system and tailor your designs accordingly. Questions to ponder include: - Is this system temporary? - Will it be used for a seasonal promotion and then discarded? - Is there potential for future use across different areas?
Product teams often demand immediate solutions, which can lead to a quick and dirty fix as well as a more sustainable long-term approach that requires additional resources and time.
Engineers sometimes complicate systems unnecessarily, influenced by idealistic portrayals found in blogs and design case studies. The most effective engineers adapt their systems to current business needs, allowing for easy iterations without compromising user experience.
To avoid over-engineering, start with short-term solutions that come to mind first. Subsequently, take the time to explore multiple short-term approaches to pave the way for future developments. Remember, context is crucial when designing solutions—consider how these decisions impact user experience, maintenance efforts, and customer service efficiency.
Section 1.2: The Importance of Metrics and Monitoring
Often, metrics and monitoring are considered after the fact. However, integrating them early in the design process is essential. This proactive approach enables engineers to:
- Frame problems in business terms.
- Prioritize maintenance considerations.
Testing validates functionality, while monitoring verifies product performance. It's vital to identify the metrics you wish to collect, which can be divided into two categories:
- Business Metrics: These reflect user engagement and feature effectiveness. For example, YouTube once prioritized subscriber counts as a key metric but found that view counts and shares better indicated platform growth. Similarly, Medium discovered that reading time was a more accurate engagement metric than claps or views.
- Engineering Metrics: These help assess system functionality. For instance, if you're working with JVM languages, you might monitor how often the system restarts or halts, especially during garbage collection. Such metrics inform necessary changes and iterations.
Integrating monitoring from the outset is invaluable for guiding future adjustments.
Chapter 2: Exploring Non-Code Solutions
Solutions don’t always have to be engineering-based. While coding addresses many challenges, it's essential to consider alternative, no-code solutions when appropriate. A notable example comes from David Pan, a former VP at MixPanel, who highlighted how one engineer transformed a complex software problem into a customer-centric challenge.
Faced with high infrastructure costs on Google Cloud Platform, rather than solely focusing on software efficiency, the engineer analyzed the top ten customers contributing to these costs. By understanding their financial dynamics, he could devise strategies to incentivize them, ultimately reducing expenses.
Similarly, Matt Ranney, a former Senior Staff Engineer at Uber, shared insights on scaling the company’s engineering team. He noted that microservices facilitate team autonomy and quick assembly, allowing teams to focus on their code and responsibilities without excessive communication barriers.
Section 2.1: The Value of Opinionated Design
A well-crafted design is often opinionated, which simplifies decision-making by reducing unnecessary choices. Avoiding decisions does not guarantee correctness; instead, it may reflect a reluctance to take responsibility. Mistakes are part of the process, and acknowledging them is crucial.
Take the contrast between iOS and Android as an example: Android's open system offers flexibility but can lead to fragmentation due to varying design patterns among manufacturers. In contrast, Apple's closed system provides a more streamlined user experience, as it sets a clear framework for interaction.
During my time developing a Scala library at Disney Streaming Service, feedback highlighted that the library's tight coupling with the Cats library made it less flexible. However, this opinionated design ultimately simplified choices for new developers, clarifying that a functional programming paradigm would drive the service's scalability.
Section 2.2: Leveraging Existing Technology
When tasked with designing a search index, you might discover that ElasticSearch is superior to your team's current Postgres setup. However, switching technologies involves trade-offs. You need to consider the unique features of ElasticSearch, the requirement for new infrastructure, security reviews, and the learning curve for your team.
Think critically about whether the advantages of adopting a new technology justify the complexity it brings. Weigh the potential gains in productivity and engagement against the costs involved in transitioning to a new system.
Recap
Throughout my journey as a software engineer, I've gathered various tips and insights that are rarely outlined in job descriptions—ranging from effective design practices to the importance of forward-thinking regarding metrics. This article aims to share some of the best practices for successful product design.
What unwritten rules have you encountered in your career? Feel free to share your insights in the comments below! If you found this information helpful, join my free weekly newsletter for more tips on becoming a productive engineer. Stay tuned!