A huge deep dive into how Stripe invests in technical infrastructure that contains too many good things to list.
Prioritize as much work into the future as possible, shedding “forced” work.
To start digging out, sometimes you can get creative, finding more leveraged approach, push on the constraints a few times to make sure you’re not being rigid. The goal here is to find work that addresses “forced” work that also reduces future “forced” work.
Consider getting product managers into your infrastructure organization. Not every team needs them all the time, but having even a few who can help navigate the transition from firefighting to innovating is super helpful.
If your team is doing forced, short-term work, then dig out by investing into your operational excellence.
If your team is just starting to experience the thrills of discretionary, long-term work, then invest into your product management skills.
If you have discretionary budget, but still find yourself running from one problem, then identify the principles to balance your approach, and set baselines for each principle.
