Building a world class engineering organization — learning from cave paintings and horsey land art

Shane Becker's talk "Building a world class engineering organization — learning from cave paintings and horsey land art" at RailsConf Atlanta 2023 explores timeless principles for building enduring engineering organizations. Drawing parallels from ancient human achievements and modern software development, Becker discusses how materials and sustained maintenance contribute to longevity. He emphasizes the importance of people, relationships, and shared values in fostering a world-class engineering culture. The talk delves into practical advice, encouraging small, manageable changes, ensuring deployable default branches, continuous refactoring, and embracing conventions. It also touches on the benefits of diversity, enabling individuals, and the critical role of proactive security and accessibility.