Tech Council
Are you a tech leader, architect, or engineer navigating the intricacies of building within the enterprise? Tech Council delivers the strategies and insights you need to succeed. Hosted by Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke, experienced leaders from the startup and banking tech arenas, this podcast dives deep into technology strategy and enterprise dynamics. Learn how to drive innovation, understand the bigger picture, and build impactful solutions from the ground up. Subscribe to Tech Council and gain the knowledge to shape the future of your enterprise, no matter your role.
Tech Council
Admin Tax is Killing Your Engineering Team | Episode 11
Every engineering team pays a tax. The question is: how much?
In this episode of Tech Council, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke spotlight the unspoken, underestimated cost of audit prep, compliance checklists, and spreadsheet-driven project tracking - the administrative tax.
Administrative tax is the accumulation of compliance requirements, audit demands, spreadsheet sprawl, and redundant manual workflows that keep smart people from doing the work they were actually hired to do.
If you’re a CTO or engineering leader aiming to operationalize strategy while scaling cleanly, this episode offers a data-driven roadmap.
Top Takeaways:
- The administrative tax is a significant burden on organizations
- Regulatory pressures have intensified in recent years, impacting operational efficiency
- Perverse incentives can lead to inefficiencies and increased workload
- App managers are often the most affected by administrative tax
- Maintaining a clear inventory is crucial for effective management
- Automation can help alleviate the administrative tax burden
- Organizations need to measure their progress and define what 'good' looks like
- The Cobra effect illustrates how poorly designed incentives can worsen problems
- Effective governance is essential for managing administrative tax
- Smart people in organizations want to improve processes but face limitations
Mentioned in the Episode:
- Internal Tech Emails on X (Twitter) - https://x.com/TechEmails
- Internal Tech Emails post on X about Mark Zuckerberg’s memo about Strategy Tax - https://x.com/TechEmails/status/1944451283236303184
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