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GOTO - The Brightest Minds in TechAuthor: GOTO
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The End of Engineering's Blank Check: Accountability in Software Leadership • Laura Tacho & Charles Humble
Episode 69
Friday, 5 December, 2025
This interview was recorded for GOTO Unscripted.https://gotopia.techLaura Tacho - CTO at DX & Executive Coach at Laura Tacho ConsultingCharles Humble - Freelance Techie, Podcaster, Editor, Author & ConsultantRESOURCESLaurahttps://x.com/rhein_weinhttps://bsky.app/profile/lauratacho.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/lauratachohttps://lauratacho.comCharleshttps://bsky.app/profile/charleshumble.bsky.socialhttps://linkedin.com/in/charleshumblehttps://mastodon.social/@charleshumblehttps://conissaunce.comLinkshttps://getdx.com/research/measuring-ai-code-assistants-and-agentshttps://www.conissaunce.com/professional-skills-shortcut.htmlhttps://getdx.com/research/measuring-developer-productivity-with-the-dx-core-4https://dora.devhttps://getdx.com/blog/understanding-dora-metricshttps://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=3454124https://getdx.com/blog/space-metricshttps://getdx.com/research/devex-what-actually-drives-productivityhttps://getdx.com/news/introducing-genai-impact-reportDESCRIPTIONLaura Tacho, CTO at DX and executive coach, shares her take on the challenging transition from technical contributor to business leader. She discusses the most common leadership skill gaps she sees in CTOs, particularly around setting clear expectations without falling into the "micromanagement spiral of doom".Laura explains the development of the DX Core 4 framework for measuring developer productivity through four balanced dimensions:• Speed• Effectiveness• Quality• ImpactShe emphasizes the critical importance of connecting technical work to business outcomes, arguing that the era of engineering having a "blank check" is over and that today's leaders must think like business leaders who speak in terms of ROI and impact. The conversation with Charles Humble also covers emerging trends in AI-assisted development and unconventional approaches to performance management.RECOMMENDED BOOKSWill Larson • An Elegant Puzzle • https://amzn.to/4gb9VyCWill Larson • The Engineering Executive's Primer • https://amzn.to/3UURQuTMeri Williams • The Principles of Project Management • https://amzn.to/4lj5B1GDaniel H. Pink • Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us • https://amzn.to/3UHx535Kathy Sierra • Badass • https://amzn.to/4b9fb2VJames Stanier • Become an Effective Software Engineering Manager • https://amzn.to/3vHrx1EBlueskyTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookCHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUSJoin this channel to get early access to videos & other perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/joinLooking for a unique learning experience?Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket: gotopia.techSUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL - new videos posted daily!
