In today’s episode, we have Vladimir Sheyda, Director of Engineering at Dropbox. He’s a passionate engineering leader with over 15 years of experience in application security and cloud infrastructure. In this episode you'll learn: ➡️ What are the most important topics to cover in a 1:1 with your manager ➡️ What is the GROW framework nd how it can help your career ➡️ The big myth about who has more control, an engineer or their manager Follow Culture of Code ➡️ Twitter - https://twitter.com/FelixThea ➡️ Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/culture-of-code-podcast/id1563271780 ➡️ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0fqIsZcqFeB6NTdKaHSJtP Timestamps: 00:00 Into 03:01 The challenge of managing a large surface area for an infrastructure team with many internal clients, and how Vladimir stays abreast of everything. 04:25 How Vladimir prioritizes identifying and filling gaps in his team, specifically regarding hiring and training. 06:30 The Ignite program at Dropbox, which brings in people from other industries to provide new perspectives and technical training. 07:12 What makes an individual contributor (IC) coachable and able to upskill, according to Vladimir's experience. 09:05 The willingness to take risks and fail publicly as a necessary attribute for growth 11:41 Dealing with investing time into team members who may eventually leave or transfer teams. 13:36 The importance of taking risks in investing in team members, and that the alternative is much worse. 14:06 The manager's or director's job in identifying what motivates people to stay, and advice for those who are less experienced and don't yet know what motivates them. 17:17 Felix asks about the best way for ICs to get the most value out of one-on-one meetings with their managers. 20:26 How to handle situations where an IC doesn't agree with their manager's assessment of their work, and how to calibrate better in those situations. 24:42 The importance of being on the same page and using a growth framework to establish common goals between managers and ICs. 28:15 The skills needed to manage a growing team, and how to develop them along the way. 31:17 The differences between a top-down and bottom-up culture, and the pros and cons of each. 33:11 How to lead without relying on authority in a bottom-up culture, focusing on establishing common goals and optimizing approaches rather than being married to a particular solution. 35:06 Vladimir dispels the myth that managers have all the power, explaining that ICs actually have more control and power in the relationship dynamic at Dropbox.

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