5 parts
Why Engineering Teams Stop Shipping
A five-part series on the tipping points that freeze delivery, and the first month of work that restores cadence.
Open series →Journal
Writing on shipping, cost, and leadership
Series for problems that take more than one sitting. Standalone notes when a single point will do.
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The First 30 Days
The first four pieces looked at different reasons a small team can struggle to ship. Here is how to bring those investigations together in the first month.
Read essay →Who Reviews the Machine
A small team starts using AI coding tools, and more work waits for review. Who has time to check the additional code, and what the first two weeks of that work look like.
Read essay →Where the Week Went
Six engineers, a full week, and very little progress on the work everyone agreed was important. How small teams account for support, incidents, and the other jobs that fill the calendar.
Read essay →Busy Is Not Shipping
The team keeps releasing features, but important customer and business problems remain. How small engineering teams can reconnect their work to the results people need.
Read essay →The Complexity Tipping Point
Delivery rarely collapses overnight. Six months ago the team shipped in days. Now a small feature needs six meetings. Here is what a complexity tipping point looks like, and the first two weeks of work.
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