Four great articles this week (4/9/2025)

All about engineering: velocity, strategy, and vibes.

Engineering-Enabled Velocity (Aviv Ben-Yosef)
This dives into the idea that your engineering organization can significantly accelerate your product development when structured and nurtured correctly. The author emphasizes that things like well-defined ownership, streamlined processes, and a focus on continuous improvement aren't just about building software but also about building speed. He also introduces the idea of “tech capital,” the underlying engineering strength and efficiency that allows a company to innovate and iterate quickly. He proposes explicit permission to innovate, cross-company insights, deploying advanced tools, and being metrics-driven as four concrete steps to develop that capacity. Approximately 8 minutes. (link)

Steps to build an engineering strategy (Will Larson)
This piece provides a structured way to think about the often nebulous concept of engineering strategy. The author breaks it down into five key steps: explore, diagnose, refine, policy, and operation. It's a helpful framework for ensuring that your engineering efforts are aligned with your broader business goals and aren't just a collection of tactical decisions. Note that setting engineering strategy is very much like setting product and even company strategy. Your engineering team needs to be engaged with and aligned on company outcomes. Approximately 10 minutes. (link)

There is no Vibe Engineering (Sergey Tselovalnikov)
This article draws a clear distinction between simply “coding” and the more comprehensive discipline of "engineering." It argues against the notion of "vibe engineering," suggesting that while coding might involve a degree of intuition or personal style, true engineering demands a more systematic and rigorous approach. The author emphasizes the need for well-defined processes, clear specifications, and a focus on building reliable and maintainable systems, which goes beyond just writing lines of code. This perspective highlights that while the act of coding is a component, the broader practice of engineering involves critical thinking, planning, and a commitment to quality and sustainability in the long run. Approximately 5 minutes. (link)

Vibe coding and the junior developer dilemma (Andreas Creten)
This article tackles a really interesting dynamic often seen in early-stage tech companies: the pressure for junior developers to contribute "production-ready" code at a rapid pace. It highlights the concept of “vibe coding,” where the emphasis on speed and output can sometimes overshadow the crucial aspects of learning, mentorship, and writing robust, maintainable code. The author argues that while velocity is important, creating an environment where junior engineers feel supported in their growth and aren't just chasing the “vibe” of constant output ultimately leads to a stronger and more sustainable engineering team in the long run. It’s a valuable perspective on balancing immediate needs with long-term team development. Approximately 2 minutes. (link)