Embracing Our Developer Exchange Program

In 2024, our company is excited to implement the Developer Exchange Program (DeEP), an intriguing concept already adopted by major tech giants like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and SAP, with promising results.

Initially piloted within our Adoption & Collaboration Tribe, the DeEP allows engineers from one team to work temporarily within another, typically for one sprint. Its benefits are all-encompassing, impacting contributors at every level—from individual engineers to teams.

The Why

For engineers, the DeEP is a chance to share skills, learn new things, and experience the unique cultures of different teams. It’s a fantastic way to enhance hard and soft skills, make new friends, and deepen existing relationships. Embracing change opens up exciting opportunities and challenges, sparks curiosity, and fuels innovation.

But the benefits don’t stop there; the entire team enjoys the program's advantages. Everyone gains from the specialized skills acquired, improved processes, and a richer culture that nurtures creativity. Plus, the chance to tackle diverse problems keeps engineers engaged and happy, creating a vibrant and productive work environment.

When we zoom out to see the program’s impact on a broader scale, it allows us to deploy engineers strategically to tackle specific challenges. This fosters team stability, strengthens collaborations, and bridges gaps in understanding.

The Journey Thus Far

Building the DeEP has been an enlightening experience - a journey consistently punctuated with insightful realizations.

At the outset, working on the idea and forging alignment between engineering managers revealed the critical importance of clarity and structure a program like DeEP needs. Following this realization early in 2024, the next step was creating an engaging landing page. The landing page was designed for prospective engineers, as well as for Product Managers (PM) and members of the User Experience (UX) team. It provided more context and information about the program at a glance, including its purpose, the deployment strategy, and additional related information.

In discussing advertising themes and sharing our program with the tribe leadership, we highlighted how important it is to advocate effectively and clearly communicate the benefits to gain their support. We had a solid plan in place, but the chance for an immediate launch reminded us just how crucial it is to prioritize our efforts in a timely manner.

By the end of Q1 2024, we began rolling out the topics to all engineers. However, Q2 posed a substantial challenge. There was not enough interest from engineers to participate. This challenging period served as a forceful reminder of the vitality of resilience and the value of perseverance.

Taking lessons from our Q2 journey, we pivoted, gathered feedback, and conscientiously refined – a testament to the fundamental role continuous learning plays in driving innovation. At the end of Q3, the program was better positioned and had a higher interest among engineers. Now, all we had to do was execute the idea. The successful implementation in Q4 marked a valuable milestone and reminded us that this journey, abundant with lessons and opportunities for growth, is perpetual - always guiding us toward continuous improvement.

Feedback & Future Plans

Feedback on the DeEP has been extremely positive. Engineers have deepened their connections with colleagues. Leading and learning are interconnected; many have developed their leadership skills while understanding what it means to contribute meaningfully. All teams could pinpoint improvement areas thanks to unbiased feedback from outside their group.

Typically, one sprint can be enough, but we’ve noticed that depending on the topic and goals of the individual or team, it might be beneficial to consider extending this to two or even more sprints.

Iteration is essential to development, and we received valuable feedback to enhance DeEP. These include aligning start dates two weeks in advance and creating a proper onboarding process to set expectations, foster a better understanding of the project, and provide a vision for the whole domain.

Like our enthusiastic engineers, our exchange program is built on a foundation of innovation, collaboration, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. With every exchange, we explore new ways to grow. As we move forward together, we’re dedicated to growing and improving every step of the way.

Let's exchange, learn, and excel.

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Jernej Klancic

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Andreas Lenerz

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Mehrad Rafigh

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