In the ever-evolving world of startups and technology companies, a recurring challenge is how engineers divide their time between building the product and contributing to high-level business decisions. Engineers are undeniably the backbone of any tech-driven company. They are the ones who bring ideas to life, translating abstract concepts into functional products. But their role often goes beyond just building. Increasingly, companies are realizing that engineers, with their unique problem-solving abilities, can also offer valuable insights when it comes to steering the direction of the company.
This idea is echoed in Paul Graham’s reflections on Founder Mode, where he highlights how the traditional advice given to founders—hire good people and give them room to work—can sometimes backfire. Engineers, just like founders, should be deeply involved in the intricacies of the company’s strategy. After all, they are the ones who will have to execute those plans.
However, in practice, engineers often find themselves relegated to the role of problem-solvers, dealing with technical challenges that are thrown at them by upper management. Their strategic input can be underutilized, if not entirely ignored. Brian Chesky of Airbnb learned this the hard way, as noted by Graham. Following the typical advice of stepping back and letting others lead certain areas resulted in poor outcomes, forcing him to rethink how leadership and decision-making should be approached at scale.
Business architects—professionals whose role is to think about which products should be implemented and which issues are most pressing for the company—often take center stage in these decisions. Yet engineers, with their deep technical understanding, can provide a perspective that helps align the company’s goals with the realities of building and maintaining a robust product.
The Disconnect Between Engineers and Strategic Input
As Ben Horowitz pointed out in The Hard Thing About Hard Things, company culture must not only be something that exists in the abstract—it needs to be lived and practiced by everyone in the company, including engineers. Often, there is a disconnect: while business decisions are made with the customers and market in mind, technical feasibility is either assumed or considered later in the process. This disconnect can lead to wasted resources, misaligned goals, and frustrated engineers who feel like their work is disjointed from the company’s broader vision.
Engineers should not only contribute their technical skills but also be given the chance to bring their insights to the decision-making table. This dual responsibility—building the product and shaping its direction—ensures a more coherent and effective strategy. Patrick Collison, CEO of Stripe, has often emphasized that the best companies succeed because their engineers understand both the product and the market.
The Myth of the 10x Engineer
In recent years, the term “10x engineer” has entered the business lexicon. It refers to an engineer who is supposedly ten times more productive than the average developer. While this concept is appealing in theory—especially to companies that want to build more with less—it can also be dangerous. The idea that engineers are mere resources to be optimized rather than key players in the strategic direction of the company reduces their role to that of a tool, rather than a partner in innovation.
The pressure on engineers to always say yes to every request, to work faster, and to focus solely on execution, is counterproductive. In reality, true innovation requires the freedom to question assumptions, think strategically, and sometimes say no to decisions that might lead to technical debt or unsustainable growth. As Steve Jobs famously demonstrated during his tenure at Apple, the best engineers are those who push back when necessary and engage deeply with the “why” behind decisions, not just the “how.”
Engineers as Partners in Decision-Making
At the heart of this issue is the tension between short-term goals (profitability, customer satisfaction) and long-term sustainability (code maintainability, developer satisfaction). Clayton Christensen, in The Innovator’s Dilemma, discusses how focusing too narrowly on immediate market needs can stifle long-term innovation. Similarly, focusing solely on customer demands can lead to decisions that are detrimental to engineers, leading to burnout and poor work culture.
This is where leadership comes in. It is the CEO’s responsibility to balance these tensions and ensure that the company thrives, not just for its customers but for its employees as well. Elon Musk, for example, is known for his hands-on approach in all aspects of his companies, ensuring that engineers, designers, and managers are all aligned in their vision.
Building a Sustainable Culture
Culture, in this sense, should be more than just a buzzword thrown around during meetings or written on the walls of the office. It should be ingrained in every aspect of the company, from how engineers are treated, to how business decisions are made, to how the product is built and maintained. The culture of a company should empower engineers to contribute not just to the technical aspects of the business but to the strategic direction as well.
The balance between focusing on customers and taking care of a company’s employees is difficult but necessary. If companies prioritize only short-term profits, they risk alienating their employees, especially engineers, who are often the most critical to long-term success.
Conclusion: Engineers as Strategic Partners
In conclusion, the success of a company depends not just on how effectively it can scale but also on how well it integrates its engineers into the strategic decision-making process. Whether through skip-level meetings or through other forms of direct engagement, as Graham suggests in Founder Mode, engineers need to feel connected to the broader vision of the company. Only then can they truly contribute to building a product that not only meets market demands but also thrives in the long run.
As the tech industry continues to evolve, companies must shift from seeing engineers as mere executors of tasks to strategic partners who are essential to the company’s success, both technically and operationally.