Solo to Scale Building a People-First Engineering Culture Daron Yöndem Tech Lead for App Innovation Microsoft http://daron.me @daronyondem

Who are you? • 20 years, 3 startups, 1xservices, 2xSaaS (B2B, B2C) • MSc CS, MA OL, PhD Leadership • US National Board Certified Coach (NBC-HWC) • 68 universities, 13 countries, 344 sessions, 18 years

People Over Startup • Put people first, your startup second. • Your team members are more than just their job titles or performance metrics. • Align the individual’s career/life goals with startup objectives— this synergy leads to long-term success.

Holistic Sync & Personal Development • In your 1.1s don’t only discuss project updates—talk about personal aspirations, health, and life goals. • Find the overlap between personal career aspirations and the company’s trajectory.

Leading by Example • Authentic leadership starts with you. • If you ask people not to work after hours, then you should not send late-night emails. • Consistency in words and actions fosters deep respect and trust within the team.

Laying the Logistics Foundation • CI/CD Pipelines: Automated testing, quick deployments, and reliable releases. • Password & File Management: Secure, standardized solutions (e.g., password managers, encrypted repos). • Communication Channels: Define when to use chat vs. email vs. instant messaging. • Meeting Best Practices: Short, focused sessions. Default to asynchronous communication when possible.

Empowering Team Decisions & Minimizing Hierarchy • Decentralized decision-making creates ownership and drives innovation • Let teams decide on technical approaches, tools, experiments, and sprint goals. • Keep hierarchy minimal; don’t inflate titles as a substitute for fair compensation. • Ensure titles reflect the industry standard so employees can grow and remain marketable.

Culture of Connection & Hybrid/On-Site Work • Let teams decide how often they meet on-site or remain remote. Focus on outcomes and accountability, not just attendance. • Plan coffee chat hours and off-sites—create space for organic bonding. • During offsites leave unstructured time for teams to connect personally.

Cultivating Leadership & Autonomy • Growing future leaders is a strategic investment, not an optional cost. • Identify emerging leaders, give them budget and authority to pilot initiatives. • Provide guidance, then step back. Regularly check in, but resist micro-management. • Offer training, mentorship, and coaching resources. Autonomy without support leads to chaos; balanced freedom is key.

Avoiding Skill Silos & Hiring Thoughtfully • Distributing knowledge and hiring slowly ensures long-term stability. • Rotate people across projects, pair programming, documentation. • Relying on one ‘superhero’ for a critical function is risky. Build redundancy in expertise. • Rapid hires can dilute culture and lower the talent bar. Find the right people with cultural fit and technical acumen.

Customer-Centric Mindset • Build for the customer, not just for revenue. • Retention and loyalty often stem from a customer feeling genuinely understood and supported. • Regularly engage with customers for product insights—co- create with them.

Recap & Final Takeaways • People-First: Holistic Sync sessions and coaching. • Authentic Leadership: Model the behavior, build trust. • Solid Logistics: CI/CD, secure file management, clear communication guidelines. • Team Empowerment: Decentralized decisions, minimal hierarchy, focus on autonomy. • Culture of Connection: Hybrid work with planned off-sites and genuine relationship- building. • Grow Leaders & Avoid Silos: Coach next-gen leaders, distribute knowledge, hire slowly. • Customer-Centric: Build for user delight, not just revenue.

Now what? • Identify one leadership habit to shift this week • Schedule time to audit your processes and identify the biggest bottleneck in your culture or toolset. • Plan a holistic 1:1 with a team member to discuss personal and professional goals.

Thanks http://daron.me | @daronyondem Grab slides on http://decks.daron.me/