Greetings, Future Tech Titans! 👋

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the challenges we don’t always see—the ones that don’t show up in system logs or performance metrics. We talk a lot about optimizing software, improving efficiency, and scaling infrastructure. But what about optimizing the way we think?

Cognitive load—the mental effort required to juggle tasks, process information, and make decisions—is quietly shaping our work more than we realize. If we don’t manage it, it can drain our productivity, stifle innovation, and push even the best teams to burnout.

In this newsletter, I’ll explore:

🔹 The unseen bottleneck: How cognitive load affects engineering teams
🔹 The cost of ignoring it: Why mental fatigue is a real threat to productivity
🔹 Practical strategies: How we can reduce cognitive strain and work smarter
🔹 My personal take: What we can do as leaders, teams, and individuals to create a sustainable, high-performing work environment

If you’ve ever felt like you’re drowning in context-switching, unnecessary complexity, or never-ending meetings, this one’s for you.

Let’s build smarter, not just faster.

Erwin Dwight

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FREE CONTENT

The Silent Killer of Engineering Success: Unlocking the Power of Cognitive Load Management

Imagine a hidden force quietly draining your engineering team’s potential—sapping creativity, slowing progress, and pushing even the brightest minds toward burnout. It’s not a technical glitch or a looming deadline; it’s cognitive load, the invisible bottleneck that shapes how we work more than we realize. In the high-stakes world of engineering, where complex systems and relentless demands collide, managing mental strain isn’t just a luxury—it’s the key to sustainable success. From untangling the chaos of context-switching to fostering a culture of clarity and support, discover how rethinking cognitive load can supercharge your team’s productivity, spark innovation, and protect the passion that drives us. Ready to lighten the load and unlock your team’s true potential? Let’s dive in!

FREE CONTENT

Speed vs. Accuracy

In this post, Ben examines the speed-accuracy spectrum in software engineering, highlighting that engineers often lean towards either fast iteration and quick delivery or carefulness and long-term stability. Drawing on his 15 years of experience in diverse engineering positions, Ben illustrates how various company stages necessitate different types of engineers along this spectrum.

FREE CONTENT

Change Is Hard

In this article, Will presents a compelling view that everyone in an organization can contribute to shaping its strategy, regardless of their position. For example, engineers can utilize methods like "take five, then synthesize" to record decisions and positively impact others with their actions. Meanwhile, executives possess the power to ensure compliance, but they also face their own set of challenges. Will emphasizes that strategy-related tasks are accessible to everyone, though they require varied approaches depending on the context and individual responsibilities. Even in challenging circumstances, when strategies may be unclear or decisions uncertain, there is always a way forward through influence and determination rather than solely relying on authority.

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That’s it for this episode!

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