Greetings, Future Tech Titans! 👋

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on a personal habit that’s made a profound impact on my daily life as an engineering leader—intermittent fasting. This practice has transformed not just how I approach my health, but how I lead, think, and perform at work. While it’s not some silver bullet, the benefits are clear, and I wanted to share my journey with you.

In this newsletter, I’m opening up about how intermittent fasting fits into the busy, demanding life of a leader in tech. We’ll explore:

• The unexpected cognitive boost: Why fasting has sharpened my focus and cleared mental fog in ways I didn’t expect.

• How fasting fits into the leader’s toolkit: The impact on my energy, stress levels, and how it helps me show up for my team.

• Real-world results: How intermittent fasting has not just affected my body but my leadership, productivity, and overall health.

• My personal take: The challenges, wins, and why I think fasting is worth exploring for engineering leaders.

If you’re looking for ways to stay sharp, maintain energy, and lead effectively, this newsletter is for you.

Erwin Dwight

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FREE CONTENT

Unlock Your Brainpower: Fasting Hacks for Tech Leaders

What if skipping breakfast could unlock sharper focus, tame stress, and elevate your leadership game? Meet Erwin, an engineering leader who’s turned intermittent fasting into a secret weapon for thriving in the chaotic, high-stakes world of tech. From boosting brainpower with science-backed hacks to reclaiming precious time and energy, his journey reveals how this simple practice can transform not just your health, but your ability to lead teams through complexity. Dive into his story, packed with practical insights and a dash of curiosity, and discover why fasting might just be the ultimate upgrade for engineering leaders like you. Ready to rethink your routine? Let’s explore!

FREE CONTENT

Why Backlog Management Is Dangerous for Most Teams

David points out that managing excessive backlogs can impede innovation and value delivery in product development. He recommends maintaining lean backlogs, dedicating no more than 5 hours each week to their management, and routinely removing outdated items. The most effective product teams prioritize problem-solving over feature implementation, keep a unified backlog for all work types, and refrain from considering the backlog as a permanent holding space for every request.

FREE CONTENT

Debts, Tech and Otherwise

In this article, Ted takes us on an insightful journey through the concept of "debt," expanding our understanding beyond just technical debt. He highlights various types, such as product, ops, process, and org debt, drawn from a lively discussion on LinkedIn. Ted thoughtfully examines the idea that short-term decisions, which can create future costs, aren't always negative. By referencing Ward Cunningham's original debt metaphor and Martin Fowler's quadrant framework, he makes a compelling case that debt can actually be a strategic choice at times. He points out that while we often focus on the challenging scenarios involving debt, we tend to overlook the instances where embracing debt led to success or when avoiding it resulted in failure.

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That’s it for this episode!

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