Engineering Culture

Building a thriving engineering culture in a startup is about more than just picking a tech stack; it's about fostering an environment where curiosity and collaboration can flourish. One approach I’m particularly fond of is implementing Google’s 70-20-10 rule.

The 70-20-10 Rule

By dedicating 70% of our time to core business tasks, 20% to related projects, and 10% to "moonshot" ideas, we give developers the freedom to try new things. This keeps curiosity alive, and ultimately, the business as a whole benefits from the innovation that follows.

Building an Outside Image

Giving devs the space to experiment also enables them to present what they’ve built outside of the company. This creates a strong external image, showing that our startup is a great place to work—which is a massive win for talent recruitment and brand reputation.

Cross-Domain Collaboration

These "Moonshot" projects shouldn't happen in a vacuum. I believe they work best when they consist of multiple people working across domains. Imagine a developer, a Product Owner, and a Business PO all collaborating on a wild idea to create a small example business case. This kind of collaboration is where the best ideas are born.