As an Engineering Manager or CTO, you've likely faced challenges in collaborating with business teams to drive growth and innovation. In this article, we'll explore the importance of effective collaboration between engineering and business teams, highlighting key lessons learned from my experience at Issuu.

The Challenges

When I first joined Issuu's Braga office, I quickly realized that there were gaps in communication and understanding between our engineering team and the business side. This led to misaligned priorities, missed deadlines, and frustration on both sides.

Some common challenges we faced included:

• Cultural barriers: Our engineering team was primarily composed of tech-savvy individuals who spoke technical jargon, while the business teams were more focused on marketing and sales strategies.
• Different priorities: The engineering team prioritized building a scalable and maintainable platform, while the business teams were focused on driving revenue growth through innovative marketing campaigns.
• Limited visibility: Our engineering team often felt isolated from the business side, with limited visibility into the company's overall goals and objectives.

The Solution

To overcome these challenges, we implemented several strategies to foster effective collaboration between our engineering and business teams:

1. Regular meetings: We scheduled regular meetings between the engineering team and key stakeholders in the business team to discuss priorities, timelines, and progress.
2. Shared goals and objectives: We ensured that both sides understood and aligned with the company's overall goals and objectives, eliminating confusion and miscommunication.
3. Cross-functional training: We provided training for our engineers on marketing and sales strategies, while also educating our business teams on technical aspects of our platform.
4. Joint planning: We involved both engineering and business teams in joint planning sessions to ensure that all stakeholders were aware of project timelines, resources, and priorities.

Key Takeaways

Our experience has shown that effective collaboration between engineering and business teams is crucial for driving growth and innovation. Here are some key takeaways:

• Communication is key: Regular communication between both sides helps eliminate misunderstandings and ensures everyone is on the same page.
• Shared goals and objectives: Aligning priorities and goals across departments is essential for achieving a shared vision.
• Cross-functional training: Educating team members from different departments on each other's areas of expertise can lead to better understanding and collaboration.

Conclusion

Effective collaboration between engineering and business teams is critical for driving growth, innovation, and success in any tech organization. By implementing strategies like regular meetings, shared goals and objectives, cross-functional training, and joint planning, we were able to overcome challenges and build a high-performing team that drove Issuu's growth.

As an Engineering Manager or CTO, I encourage you to prioritize collaboration with your business teams. With open communication, shared understanding, and mutual respect, you can unlock the full potential of your organization and drive innovation in your industry.

Recommendation

I highly recommend the book "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable" by Patrick Lencioni for any Engineering Manager or CTO looking to improve collaboration between engineering and business teams.