My Technical Manifesto: Values for a Thriving Team

Editor’s Note: I originally wrote this manifesto in 2022 on my personal blog. Today, as we build Oloodi Technologies, these values are more relevant than ever. They are the DNA of our engineering culture.

We often talk about corporate culture, developer culture, or the mindset of a software engineer within a team. Throughout my experiences, I’ve often faced the question: does this person have the right mindset to join our team?

But what does having the “right mindset” actually mean? I’ve always found it difficult to define without clearly listing what is expected of a person or an engineer you are about to work with.

When I joined Stack Labs after 7 years at Mipih, we were deeply attached to the culture and mindset we wanted for the team. During a team-building trip in 2019, I took some time to observe my colleagues and asked myself:

1. What makes this team work so well? 2. Why do I feel in my element as an engineer with this team?

I decided to draft a manifesto! Inspired by the discourse of Googlers, engineers at AWS, and Microsoft, I thought that if I forced myself to retain just 5 values, I would be able to define what “working with a good mindset” means to me.

Today, I have my manifesto! This manifesto helps me define the type of team I want to work in. It gives me motivation, but above all, it allows me to shine and thrive with others.

I have taken—and still take—great joy in guiding other developers (as a Tech Lead, Senior, Manager, Director of Engineering…), but ultimately, the most important thing is the values we instill in our team.

Here is my manifesto.

1. Learn and Be Curious

The engineers I love working with and who share my mindset love to progress. They are passionate individuals who are always thirsty for knowledge and love to surpass themselves. They do not hesitate to test new possibilities and explore them proactively. They are convinced that open-mindedness is an essential factor for learning new things.

2. Commit and Invest Personally

The engineers I love working with and who share my mindset do not hesitate to take time to invest themselves personally. They act not only for their personal vision but also for the collective.

3. Trust Each Other

The engineers I love working with and who share my mindset trust the ability of other members to do their job as best as possible. They have neither the need nor the desire to monitor each other. Team spirit is paramount, and optimism always prevails.

4. Have Guts and Challenge

An engineer I love working with and who shares my mindset does not hesitate to question a decision. They love a challenge, while respecting their interlocutor. They are convinced that we improve by accepting being challenged.

5. Share and Develop the Best

The engineers I love working with and who share my mindset love to be leaders and take their mentoring role seriously. They care about helping others progress. They are convinced that everyone has exceptional talent and are committed to ensuring that everyone fully accomplishes themselves within the team.

Originally published in French on bwnyasse.net