Ditch the Playbook: 6 Unconventional Ways to Build a High-Performing Tech Team

This article challenges six common yet counterproductive practices in tech team management. The author argues that small teams, hackathons, mandated 'tech debt' time, over-protecting engineers' time, zero turnover, and over-specialization all contribute to mediocre, uninspired teams. Instead, the author advocates for building appropriately sized, self-organizing teams; replacing hackathons with structured 'intermissions'; incorporating tech debt into the product roadmap; encouraging engineer involvement in customer support; embracing healthy turnover; and fostering cross-functional skill development to build resilient, innovative, and impactful teams.