Why Technology leaders need Masterchef Kitchens to Build Menus of Possible Futures.
Natalie Piucco
Google Chief Technologist | Speaker| Capital G Board Member | STEM Ambassador | Winner ARN Australian Women in Technology (Engineering) | GAICD
We would never*** expect a chef to try a new recipe in the middle of a dinner service, they need MasterChef Kitchens to experiment, so why should our expectations be any different for our top engineering talent?
Now that you're here and likely hungry, let me share some questions I've collected that as a 'Born in the Cloud CTO' I am asking both future focused Executive Technology Leaders and Scaling Tech Founders that are under huge pressure to build quickly with new technology (Enter GenAI) and introduce you to a little concept I am calling the Master Chef Kitchen. Warning, these questions often end in the blank faces, long pauses and head a tilt-ie type reactions.
There is no right answer but there has to be one.
Q. 'Where does risk taking live in your technology teams?' Tumbleweeds
Q. 'Where do you send your top engineering talent when they come to you with a brilliant idea?' More blank faces
Q. 'Does each person have an experimentation budget assigned, and have you given permission to spend time tinkering?' No Time
Q. 'Are your team's rewarded (in front of their peers) AND measured (in their performance reviews) for big thinking and risk taking? Kinda
Back to the cooks in the kitchen. Stakes are high, pressure is on, the recipe are well known but who's thinking about next month's menu? It sure can't happen while we cooking our famous hand made Gnocchi. I mean it could, but as an Italian I know first hand never to mess with Nonna's pasta.
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Your best technology talent needs and wants a place to experiment. I call this structured serendipity, a clear place to go to test the 'art of the Possible'. Some of the most Innovative and high functioning engineering teams I’ve worked with are those that have a very clear place to test their ideas , meaning not just technology platforms (although thats important) but where physiology safety is high, failure is low and the permission to play is granted. Let's be clear, this is not a dev environment and this kitchen invites chefs from both technology & business teams. Think masterchef kitchen but swapping Apples for API'S and Margarine for ML.?
In your MasterChef Kitchen, your best chefs have a safe space to try new things because this kitchen has latest kitchenware, rare and emerging ingredients and exotic seasonings for your best minds to practice what you hired them for, to stretch their thinking, and craft the ‘art of the possible’.?
This is what I would be fill my teams Masterchef pantry with.
If the pantry is the tools then the kitchen is cloud. However & where ever you choose to test, the aim is to make it as low risk as possible and there be and an actual answer when you ask you top talent where they can experiment..
Again, we would never expect a Chef to try a new recipe in the middle of a dinner service why would this be any different for our product engineering teams.?
Where does risk taking live in side your organisation? How are you preparing your teams for the NEXT Gen AI movement what ever that might be. Where is your Master Chef Kitchen?
Happy experimenting.??
Fintech and Web3 Lead @ Google Cloud | Ex-x15ventures | Overnight Success | Airtree Explorer | Startmate Coach
1 年So. Much. Yes. ?? love it Nat
Love this Nattie - cooking and AI are natural allies. The art of the possible