Sachin Kansal is the CPO at Uber
By Lenny's Podcast
Key Concepts:
- Shipping code: The act of deploying functional code to the end user.
- Cycle time: The duration from identifying a beneficial feature/solution to its implementation and release to users.
- Impact on end user: The ultimate measure of success, determined by the value delivered to the user.
Main Argument: Prioritize Shipping Code to Minimize Cycle Time
The core argument is that the ultimate goal of any development process is to deliver value to the end user through functional code. The speaker emphasizes that activities like creating documents, holding brainstorming meetings, or even designing in Figma are only valuable insofar as they contribute to shipping code. The speaker's primary focus is on minimizing the cycle time, which is defined as the time it takes to go from identifying a good idea to having it implemented and available to the user.
Supporting Points:
- Code is the Only Thing That Matters to the End User: The speaker explicitly states that the only thing that ultimately impacts the end user is the code that is shipped in the product. Documents, meetings, and designs are intermediate steps, but they don't directly provide value to the user.
- Minimize Cycle Time: The speaker identifies cycle time as the biggest obstacle to delivering value. The goal is to reduce the time it takes to get a solution from conception to the user's hands.
- "Ship, Ship, Ship" as a Motto: The phrase "ship, ship, ship" encapsulates the speaker's philosophy of prioritizing the rapid and continuous deployment of code. This motto serves as a constant reminder to focus on delivering working software to users as quickly as possible.
Examples and Applications:
The video doesn't provide specific case studies, but the underlying principle applies to any software development context. The speaker's emphasis on shipping code quickly is particularly relevant in agile development methodologies, where iterative releases and continuous feedback are central to the process.
Notable Quotes:
- "You don't ship documents. You don't ship brainstorming meetings. You don't even ship designs in a Figma. What you ship is code in your product."
- "That is the only thing that actually ultimately has impact on the end user."
- "My biggest enemy is the cycle time of we know it is a good thing all the way to our user seeing it."
- "So that's why ship ship ship has become such a motto for me."
Synthesis/Conclusion:
The speaker advocates for a development philosophy centered on rapidly shipping code to end users. By minimizing cycle time and focusing on delivering functional software, development teams can maximize their impact and provide value to users as quickly as possible. The "ship, ship, ship" motto serves as a constant reminder to prioritize the delivery of working code over other activities that don't directly contribute to the end user experience.
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