Unlocking Engineering Leadership: Insights from the Automotive Industry

Matt Warcholinski, co-founder of Brainhub, interviews Felipe Streb, founder of Welin.
00:00 Introduction and Journey to Germany
Felipe Streb shares his journey from working in Spain to becoming an engineering manager in Germany, discussing the cultural differences in work practices and the reasons behind his move.
01:31 Differences in Work Practices
The discussion explores the distinctions in work culture between Spain and Germany, focusing on work hours, approaches to engineering, and leadership styles in the two countries.
03:16 Work Experience in Spain
Felipe delves into his work experience in Spain, particularly at Sadcoat, a digitalization center, detailing projects related to software development for automotive companies like Volkswagen and SEAT.
05:02 Technologies and Projects at Sadcoat
The chapter highlights the technologies used at Sadcoat, such as Java, and the projects focused on data analysis, incident tracking, and software development for automotive companies.
09:04 Transition to Engineering Manager
Felipe shares his transition from a software developer to an engineering manager, discussing the importance of understanding the business side of IT and the role of mentors in his career growth.
12:01 Lessons in Crucial Conversations
The chapter emphasizes the significance of crucial conversations in engineering management, highlighting the impact of effective communication and the value of honest feedback in leadership roles.
13:58 Engineering Culture in Spain
The discussion focuses on the strong engineering culture in Spain, highlighting the approach of Spanish engineers in problem-solving and balancing quality with value in their work.
14:49 Developers’ Role Beyond Coding
Felipe elaborates on the role of developers beyond coding, emphasizing the importance of understanding business needs, providing valuable insights, and actively participating in discussions to drive project success.
18:02 Team Structure and Leadership
The chapter explores the team structure and leadership dynamics at Felipe’s current workplace, emphasizing open conversations, the role of engineering managers as bridges between teams and leadership, and collaboration with product managers.
21:04 Encouraging Open Communication
Felipe shares insights on encouraging open communication with introverted team members, emphasizing trust-building, prioritizing their concerns, and demonstrating responsiveness to foster a culture of transparency.
23:51 Most Important Lesson Learned
Felipe reflects on a crucial lesson learned about making hard choices as a technology leader, highlighting the responsibility to challenge team decisions when necessary and prioritize the team’s long-term success.
About Brainhub:
Our mission is to build digital products that last. By being pragmatic product experts with a narrow tech specialization, we're able to avoid surprises and deliver highest quality software consistently.
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