What is engineering culture?

Engineering culture refers to the specific practices, values, and behaviors that characterize how engineering and product development teams function within an organization. It encompasses the ways these teams interpret and implement the broader organizational culture to fit their unique challenges and workflows.

• Velocity and Ownership: For instance, in some engineering cultures, there's a strong emphasis on high velocity and ownership. Teams might prioritize making continuous progress over achieving perfection, and engineers are often expected to ship code on their first day to embody this value. This approach underlines the importance of agility and the cultural statement that "good today is better than perfect tomorrow" 1.
• Proactive Problem-Solving: Additionally, engineering cultures often emphasize proactive problem-solving and operational discipline. This can involve practices like starting the week with operational metrics check-ins to proactively address system or product health issues before they escalate 1.

Overall, the engineering culture in a company influences how technical teams approach their work, solve problems, and align their activities with the company's strategic goals.