The Hidden Architecture of Engineering: Practical Lessons in Organizational Design
Oct 12, 2025•47 min•Ep. 47
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Episode description
In this episode, Kevin digs into the often-ignored side of engineering leadership: organizational design. He explores how structure shapes communication, culture, and even software architecture. Conway’s Law still applies. Kevin shares practical ways to diagnose bottlenecks, refactor teams, and evolve your organization with intent. From mapping the flow of work to understanding team topologies, this is a grounded guide to designing organizations that actually work.
- Architecture and Organization talk (https://www.kevingoldsmith.com/talks/architecture-and-organization.html)
- Reinventing Organizations by Fredric Laloux (https://amzn.to/43fwrRk)
- Team Topologies by Skelton/Pais (https://amzn.to/4nPHVDA)
- Listener Survey: https://forms.gle/JVeKHsHJKhEM3dvK6
- The book: It Depends: Writing on Technology 2012-2022 (https://itdependsbook.net)
- Your host: Kevin Goldsmith (https://kevingoldsmith.com)
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