#197 - Beyond Input & Output: Building Outcome-Oriented Engineering Teams - Balki Kodarapu

Tech Lead Journal

Nov 4 2024 • 55 mins

“Input, Output, Outcome, and Impact. It’s an escalating way of where to spend my time as an engineering leader, and more importantly, where my engineering team is spending their time on.”

Balki Kodarapu is the VP of Engineering at Lōvu Health and a seasoned engineering leader with a wealth of experience from startups to large organizations. In this episode, Balki shares his valuable insights on how to build and lead high-performing engineering teams that go beyond just churning out code.

We go deep into his practical framework for driving outcomes and impact, emphasizing why it’s crucial for engineers to understand the ‘why’ behind their work. Balki also shares effective strategies for setting, communicating, and reinforcing engineering values. We also discuss the importance of connecting with your team, practicing gratitude and curiosity, and measuring engineering metrics effectively.

Tune in to gain valuable insights and practical tips for building outcome-oriented engineering teams and becoming a more effective leader.

Listen out for:

  • Career Turning Points - [00:01:55]
  • Impact & Outcome Driven Engineering - [00:05:50]
  • Helping Engineering Connect to the Outcomes - [00:11:52]
  • Balancing Engineers’ Focus Time - [00:16:18]
  • Key Engineering Metrics: Releasing with Joy & Confidence - [00:18:46]
  • Engineering Metrics Other Org Functions Care About - [00:23:01]
  • Setting Engineering Values - [00:30:33]
  • How to Create Engineering Values - [00:36:16]
  • Communicating Values - [00:40:18]
  • Practicing Gratitude & Curiosity - [00:43:59]
  • 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:49:49]

_____

Balki Kodarapu’s Bio
Balki Kodarapu, an all-in engineering leader and entrepreneur at heart. Balki has a proven track record of leading SaaS products from inception to hyper-growth, helping companies achieve 2x to 10x revenue growth, including two successful exits. He loves being a hands-on engineer, director, and VP of Engineering (all at once!), contributing daily, shaping product strategy and building high-performing teams.

Currently, Balki leads engineering at Lōvu Health where his team helps create positive, joyful & healthy experiences for pregnant & postpartum moms every single day.

Follow Balki:

_____

Our Sponsors

Enjoy an exceptional developer experience with JetBrains. Whatever programming language and technology you use, JetBrains IDEs provide the tools you need to go beyond simple code editing and excel as a developer.
Check out FREE coding software options and special offers on jetbrains.com/store/#discounts.
Make it happen. With code.


Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.
Get a 40% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead24 for all products in all formats.


Like this episode?
Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/197.
Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Buy me a coffee or become a patron.