Why Engineering Leaders Must Walk the Floor in the Age of AI
In an era where artificial intelligence reshapes boundaries, Boeing’s evolution from hands-on manufacturing to a disconnected assembly of outsourced parts serves as a stark reminder of what we stand to lose when leaders distance themselves from the core of their craft.
As an engineering leader, I've navigated from coding on the front lines to orchestrating from the executive suite. Leadership isn't merely about steering—it's fundamentally about understanding, at a granular level, the work that we oversee. We must be engineers, lest we become mere editors of a book we cannot read.
To challenge myself and "walk the floor" in our digital age, I embarked on a personal project unconnected to my day-to-day work. I decided to develop a mobile app using Flutter, a language new to me, and GitHub Copilot for assistance. I chose an on-device project to avoid cloud networking costs, and I set a non-negotiable goal to finish it—publishing in the App Store was my definitive "done."
Spoiler: I succeeded—Yet Another Spider Solitaire (Y.A.S.S) is now available in the app store. Install Y.A.S.S. on your device here: https://bit.ly/4a4zKeT
This journey wasn’t just about dusting off my programming skills but reinforcing a crucial leadership philosophy: understanding through doing. Tools like Copilot enhance our capabilities but cannot replace the foundational knowledge that an experienced engineer brings. In the final stages of the project, I partnered with a friend who brought complementary skills to the table. This collaboration not only enhanced the quality of Y.A.S.S but also reinforced my belief that effective leadership involves knowing when to leverage the strengths of others to achieve a common goal. It isn't perfect, but as those who know me have heard me say, “unshipped software delights no customers.” So, here's to the first round of delight. I hope you like the game and welcome any feedback.
Most followed 40K #3Dprinting Influencer • President of AMER & APAC at Anisoprint • [email protected] • Enabling Composite Fiber Co-extrusion (CFC) technology for stronger than Bambu and lighter than metal parts.
1mo#AMazing 🤩 Community