#9: Kevin Goldsmith on the Spotify model and rolling out progression at scale

#9: Kevin Goldsmith on the Spotify model and rolling out progression at scale

Author: Progression April 2, 2019 Duration: 1:07:31

Back in January I chatted to Kevin Goldsmith, a very experienced technical leader with background at companies including Microsoft, Adobe, Spotify and more. He was at Spotify when they evolved their org, witnessing and helping to shape the 'Spotify model' which has now found so much popularity in teams around the world.

It's taken me ages to get this episode out, but it's a real corker for anyone thinking about scaling a team in tech. There's loads of lessons learned around parallel tracks, consensus-driven org decisions, managing a rollout of career progression in a company which had grown crazy fast with nothing and much, much more. Enjoy!

Links from the episode

Kevin on Conway's law (podcast):

http://www.se-radio.net/2018/07/se-radio-episode-331-kevin-goldsmith-on-architecture-and-organizational-design/

The Spotify careers documentation:

https://labs.spotify.com/2016/02/15/spotify-technology-career-steps/

Kevin's current gig, Astrum U:

https://www.astrumu.com/


Find Kevin at:

https://www.kevingoldsmith.com/

https://twitter.com/KevinGoldsmith


Sponsor: Onfido are great 🙌

This episode is sponsored by Onfido! They're ruddy great, and are looking for a design ops person (amongst other interesting design and product roles). Check out their open jobs here: onfido.com/jobs

Want to sponsor an episode, or suggest a guest? Email podcast@makegrow.co to get straight to me.


Me and progression:

twitter.com/jonnyburch

progressionapp.com


Figuring out a path forward in a tech career often feels like navigating without a map. We excel at crafting elegant systems for users, yet applying that same structured thinking to our own professional growth is surprisingly difficult. The Progression Podcast exists in that space, exploring the very human, often messy process of building a fulfilling career in technology. Rather than offering simplistic advice, we sit down with regular contributors and seasoned guests to unpack the real challenges-like the tension between managing people and staying hands-on with technical work, or the gap between the skills we have and the tools we wish our managers possessed. Conversations delve into practicalities, from understanding compensation and effective training to evaluating whether a new role is truly the right fit. This isn't about quick fixes; it's a candid look at the deliberate craft of career design, offering perspectives and stories that help you make more informed decisions about your own journey. Tune in for thoughtful discussions that move beyond the code to focus on the person writing it.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 30

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