Wade Chambers, Chief Engineering Officer @ Amplitude, joins us to discuss what it looks like to empower individual engineers & overall engineering teams and recommendations for creating a culture that cultivates ownership! First, Wade defines what true ownership looks like – and what it doesn’t look like. We cover frameworks for identifying & cultivating high ownership in individuals & across teams, implementing systems that encourage ownership, communicating shared vision / goals, and coaching engineers when passing the baton of ownership. We also discuss navigating difficult conversations around empowerment / ownership – or lack thereof – and Wade shares examples of impactful questions to ask.

We explored practical AI tool adoption strategies, addressed team upskilling challenges, and examined how engineering managers' roles are evolving in response. Key takeaways included the critical importance of continuous learning frameworks, heightened value of emotional intelligence in leadership, and maintaining a problem-solving mindset while navigating technological disruption.