Tech spotlight: Increasing engineering momentum at a systems level
copy gray iconlinkedin graytwitter grey

Tech spotlight: Increasing engineering momentum at a systems level

April 14, 2022

The defining characteristic of winning teams is not only rockstar team members. To truly reach a team’s best potential, a team needs unity in spirit, ideology, motivation, and — most importantly — practices.

If there is an established and agreed-upon modus operandi, team members can move together with more momentum, impact, and efficiency as the expectations of the team are clear among all its members.

A good example of this in action is a well-orchestrated basketball team throwing no-look passes to each other.

Core Code Standards

How can we get one step closer to no-look passes within our engineering team?

Last year we put together a code standards document that all members within our team had input into by either direct authorship or peer reviews of other members’ additions. This document is centrally published within our team’s Notion page.

This document is our agreed-upon modus operandi and covers everything from general principles to abide by to general code standards, testing standards, and pull request review guidelines. For context, below you can see a snippet of the table of contents for our current guidelines.

Our code standards document is a public and written declaration of expectations that can be referenced by team members whenever helpful. Our centralized document is an attempt to alleviate the inefficiencies of oral tradition and tribal knowledge that breed naturally in many engineering organizations.

With the use of codified standards, we increase momentum of the team’s output since we bypass the need for explanations and conversations of unwritten rules that the team currently follows. The core code standards can be referenced by team members during the PR review process as well as discussed during team tag-ups to further validate or amend current guidelines.

Finally, uniformity and predictability of code are also positive byproducts of the document.

A Living Document

The set of standards is a living document wherein any members of the team can propose any amendments to the document. Amendments can be officially added to the document if voted in by a majority of the team.

Our team has a weekly tag-up, and one of the agenda items is to go over specific amendment or addition requests to the document. Prior to the meeting, the reviewer will tag team members for review so they can come into the meeting with context on what is attempted to be codified.

Team members will often discuss the pro’s and con’s of the amendments asynchronously over comment threads prior to the tag-up. This engagement increases buy-in from others as they will have an opportunity to reword and rescope portions of the amendment to achieve a comfortable middle-ground.

The goal of the document — to quote our VP of Engineering, John Whitfield — is coming together, not to get things right. Even if some people disagree with a particular section, we’re bought into the idea that following the same standards will make us more effective.

Unknowns

This document is relatively new, and naturally, some unknowns lie ahead. Some unknowns include:

  • Will Notion be an adequate platform for a living document? Or would we greater benefit from using Git as our main method of preservation and amendment?
  • What is the best amendment voting method? Would it be better as a live, transparent vote or an anonymous vote?
  • How can we delineate certain rules without being too pedantic or prescriptive? We would like to provide guidelines but also assume a certain level of reasonableness among the team.
  • Should we ensure the widespread adoption of this document among all engineering teams? Or is it better on a per team basis?

Despite all these unknowns, what is most important is that we create a system in which reinforcing feedback loops will increase developer momentum and overall codebase health. If we implement these kinds of checks at the systems level, we can allow engineering teams to do what they are needed to do best: output features!

Getting Started

Initially, when I first took a stab at creating a code standards document, there was simply so much to say at various levels of abstraction. I began writing the document many times on my computer. Each time I would go back and realize that it was written at such a high level that it sounded almost proverbial. I didn’t like the sound of this and also did not think this type of blanket proselytization would be of any practical use to anybody.

Instead of trying to add an overarching thesis to how to approach engineering, it proved markedly more helpful to think of specific instances wherein a codified standard would have improved team momentum and decreased the need for a conversation on the approach. To do this I simply took a walk in the park. Literally. With my voice recorder on, I spoke my thoughts aloud as I recalled various relevant moments. Afterwards, I transcribed all my thoughts into the document and used that as the baseline draft for other teammates to add to and amend. This may not be the best advice for everyone, but it certainly helped me get rolling.

Once you have a document, how can you increase engagement, ownership, and validity of the document? My advice is to look out for opportunities to ask team members to add to the document whenever possible. If there is something someone is struggling with because it is not codified, ask them to add to the core code standards! Not only is it good to codify ambiguities for future reference, it will also increase engagement, ownership, and validity of the document among the team.

Interested in joining a team that is constantly refining processes in a democratic way? We’re hiring!

Always stay up to date

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
View our Privacy Policy   ➔

Up next

Introducing the next generation of Automated Direct Deposit Switching

Introducing the next generation of Automated Direct Deposit Switching

Introducing our first-of-its-kind, reimagined automated direct deposit switching experience, expected to at least double end-to-end conversion.

Read more  ➔
Know Your Fraudster Q&A with Robert Reynolds

Know Your Fraudster Q&A with Robert Reynolds

Read more  ➔
Fraud Fighers Chapter 1: Know Your Fraudster

Fraud Fighers Chapter 1: Know Your Fraudster

Read more  ➔
This is how banks close the loop with branch guests: Introducing Pinwheel Smart Branch

This is how banks close the loop with branch guests: Introducing Pinwheel Smart Branch

Read more  ➔
Introducing Pinwheel Deposit Switch 2.0, a revolutionary upgrade that maximizes coverage and conversion for every US worker

Introducing Pinwheel Deposit Switch 2.0, a revolutionary upgrade that maximizes coverage and conversion for every US worker

Deposit Switch 2.0 allows every US worker to update their direct deposit settings regardless of where their direct deposit comes from.

Read more  ➔
Key factors to consider before implementing a payroll connectivity API

Key factors to consider before implementing a payroll connectivity API

Before integrating a payroll connectivity API, you should evaluate it based on coverage, conversion, implementation, security, and compliance.

Read more  ➔
Enhance credit line management with income data

Enhance credit line management with income data

Read more  ➔
See your customers’ earnings weeks into the future with projected earnings

See your customers’ earnings weeks into the future with projected earnings

Read more  ➔
How to reduce default risk with consumer-permissioned data

How to reduce default risk with consumer-permissioned data

Read more  ➔
Digital lending technologies and trends that are shaping the industry

Digital lending technologies and trends that are shaping the industry

Read more  ➔
4 technologies that improve fraud detection in banking

4 technologies that improve fraud detection in banking

Read more  ➔
Why automated income verification is a must-have feature for lenders

Why automated income verification is a must-have feature for lenders

Read more  ➔
December product release: 10% increase in conversion, enhanced security and access to pay frequency data

December product release: 10% increase in conversion, enhanced security and access to pay frequency data

Read more  ➔
A conversation with our Chief Information Security Officer

A conversation with our Chief Information Security Officer

Read more  ➔
Former CFPB Deputy Director Raj Date Joins Pinwheel as an Advisor

Former CFPB Deputy Director Raj Date Joins Pinwheel as an Advisor

Read more  ➔
Cash flow underwriting: Benefits & how to access cash flow data

Cash flow underwriting: Benefits & how to access cash flow data

Read more  ➔
Why banks need a payroll connectivity API that prioritizes information security

Why banks need a payroll connectivity API that prioritizes information security

Read more  ➔
How alternative credit data can benefit lenders

How alternative credit data can benefit lenders

Read more  ➔
Tech Spotlight: Implementing your first feature flag

Tech Spotlight: Implementing your first feature flag

Read more  ➔
Pinwheel Welcomes New Advisor, Ethan Yeh, to Advance Pinwheel’s Data Science Strategy

Pinwheel Welcomes New Advisor, Ethan Yeh, to Advance Pinwheel’s Data Science Strategy

Read more  ➔
Tech spotlight: Securing access control across internal services

Tech spotlight: Securing access control across internal services

Read more  ➔
The anatomy and potential of payroll data: Transforming complex data into insights

The anatomy and potential of payroll data: Transforming complex data into insights

Read more  ➔
Beyond the credit score: Propelling consumer finance into the future with income data

Beyond the credit score: Propelling consumer finance into the future with income data

Read more  ➔
Ayokunle (Ayo) Omojola joins Pinwheel’s Board of Directors

Ayokunle (Ayo) Omojola joins Pinwheel’s Board of Directors

Read more  ➔
Conquering conversion: Engineering practices developed to help customers

Conquering conversion: Engineering practices developed to help customers

Read more  ➔
Driving Customer Delight: From implementation and beyond

Driving Customer Delight: From implementation and beyond

Read more  ➔
Pinwheel Supports Open Finance Data Security Standard

Pinwheel Supports Open Finance Data Security Standard

Read more  ➔
How we design Pinwheel to solve real customer problems

How we design Pinwheel to solve real customer problems

Read more  ➔
What is consumer-permissioned data and what are its benefits?

What is consumer-permissioned data and what are its benefits?

Read more  ➔
How payroll data connectivity can help financial service providers in tumultuous market conditions

How payroll data connectivity can help financial service providers in tumultuous market conditions

Read more  ➔
Pinwheel now supports document uploads to supplement payroll data

Pinwheel now supports document uploads to supplement payroll data

Read more  ➔
Brian Karimi-Pashaki joins Pinwheel as Partnerships Lead

Brian Karimi-Pashaki joins Pinwheel as Partnerships Lead

Read more  ➔
Optimizing for conversion with smarter employer mappings

Optimizing for conversion with smarter employer mappings

Read more  ➔
What are super apps and how will they impact financial services?

What are super apps and how will they impact financial services?

Read more  ➔
Increase conversions and maximize share of wallet with Pinwheel's new UX update

Increase conversions and maximize share of wallet with Pinwheel's new UX update

Read more  ➔
Pinwheel announces support for taxes

Pinwheel announces support for taxes

Read more  ➔
Ryan Nier Joins Pinwheel as the Company’s first General Counsel

Ryan Nier Joins Pinwheel as the Company’s first General Counsel

Read more  ➔
The future of enabling earned wage access

The future of enabling earned wage access

Read more  ➔
Deliver earned wage access faster with Pinwheel Earnings Stream

Deliver earned wage access faster with Pinwheel Earnings Stream

Pinwheel Earnings Stream provides the necessary data and intelligence to reliably offer earned wage access (EWA) at scale.

Read more  ➔
Digital transformation in banking in 2022: What it means, trends & examples

Digital transformation in banking in 2022: What it means, trends & examples

Read more  ➔
June product release: Expanded connectivity to employers, a custom experience with Link API and more

June product release: Expanded connectivity to employers, a custom experience with Link API and more

Read more  ➔
Pinwheelie Spotlight: LaRena Iocco, Software Engineer

Pinwheelie Spotlight: LaRena Iocco, Software Engineer

Read more  ➔
Build fully custom experiences with Pinwheel’s Link API

Build fully custom experiences with Pinwheel’s Link API

Read more  ➔
Pinwheel expands connectivity to 1.5M employers

Pinwheel expands connectivity to 1.5M employers

Read more  ➔
Robert Reynolds joins Pinwheel as Head of Product

Robert Reynolds joins Pinwheel as Head of Product

Read more  ➔
Pinwheel obtains highest security certification in the industry

Pinwheel obtains highest security certification in the industry

Read more  ➔
Lauren Crossett becomes Pinwheel’s first Chief Revenue Officer

Lauren Crossett becomes Pinwheel’s first Chief Revenue Officer

Read more  ➔
Everything you should know about the role of APIs in banking

Everything you should know about the role of APIs in banking

Read more  ➔
Open finance: What is it and how does it impact financial services?

Open finance: What is it and how does it impact financial services?

Read more  ➔
How automated direct deposit switching benefits traditional banks

How automated direct deposit switching benefits traditional banks

Read more  ➔
Pinwheel Secure: Authentication optimized for market-leading conversion

Pinwheel Secure: Authentication optimized for market-leading conversion

Read more  ➔
Pinwheelie Spotlight: Elena Churilova, Software Engineer, Integrations

Pinwheelie Spotlight: Elena Churilova, Software Engineer, Integrations

Read more  ➔
May product release: Localization and downloadable pay stubs

May product release: Localization and downloadable pay stubs

Read more  ➔
How a payroll API can level up lenders and renters

How a payroll API can level up lenders and renters

Read more  ➔
The power of payroll APIs in consumer finance

The power of payroll APIs in consumer finance

Read more  ➔
Data Talks: Pinwheel’s Fortune 1000 coverage and top employer trends

Data Talks: Pinwheel’s Fortune 1000 coverage and top employer trends

Read more  ➔
April product release: Enabling connectivity to time and attendance data for 25M US workers

April product release: Enabling connectivity to time and attendance data for 25M US workers

Read more  ➔
Tech spotlight: Increasing engineering momentum at a systems level

Tech spotlight: Increasing engineering momentum at a systems level

Read more  ➔
How crypto exchanges can turn direct deposits into a fiat onramp

How crypto exchanges can turn direct deposits into a fiat onramp

Read more  ➔
March product release: Time and attendance coverage and Pinwheel's new online home

March product release: Time and attendance coverage and Pinwheel's new online home

Read more  ➔
Pinwheelie spotlight: Arianna Gelwicks, Tech Recruiting

Pinwheelie spotlight: Arianna Gelwicks, Tech Recruiting

Read more  ➔
What is payroll data and how it benefits proptech companies

What is payroll data and how it benefits proptech companies

Read more  ➔
Earned wage access: What is it and why does it matter?

Earned wage access: What is it and why does it matter?

Read more  ➔
How fintech APIs are transforming financial services

How fintech APIs are transforming financial services

Read more  ➔
Webinar: Unleash growth with income and payroll APIs

Webinar: Unleash growth with income and payroll APIs

Read more  ➔
February product release: Updated Link UX and data quality

February product release: Updated Link UX and data quality

Read more  ➔
Tech spotlight: Floating footer with React functional components

Tech spotlight: Floating footer with React functional components

Read more  ➔
Why a direct deposit switching API is a must-have for banks and neobanks

Why a direct deposit switching API is a must-have for banks and neobanks

Read more  ➔
Pinwheelie spotlight: Hale Ahangi, People Operations Lead

Pinwheelie spotlight: Hale Ahangi, People Operations Lead

Read more  ➔
Shift from a vicious to virtuous cycle: The foundation for a fairer financial system

Shift from a vicious to virtuous cycle: The foundation for a fairer financial system

Read more  ➔
January product release: Recurring access to income & employment

January product release: Recurring access to income & employment

Read more  ➔
Pinwheel’s Series B and our path towards a fairer financial future

Pinwheel’s Series B and our path towards a fairer financial future

We're excited to share that we have raised a $50M Series B funding round led by GGV Capital with participation from many others.

Read more  ➔
Tech spotlight: How to implement async requests in your Python code

Tech spotlight: How to implement async requests in your Python code

Read more  ➔
Pinwheelie spotlight: Devin DeCaro-Brown, Product Manager

Pinwheelie spotlight: Devin DeCaro-Brown, Product Manager

Read more  ➔
2021 recap and product update: An amazing year for Pinwheel

2021 recap and product update: An amazing year for Pinwheel

Read more  ➔
Charles Tsang joins Pinwheel as Head of Marketing

Charles Tsang joins Pinwheel as Head of Marketing

Read more  ➔
Pinwheelie spotlight: Octavio Roscioli, Senior Software Engineer

Pinwheelie spotlight: Octavio Roscioli, Senior Software Engineer

Read more  ➔
November product release: Beta launch of income & employment monitoring

November product release: Beta launch of income & employment monitoring

Read more  ➔
How can payroll data help with one’s financial picture?

How can payroll data help with one’s financial picture?

Read more  ➔
Pinwheelie spotlight: Caroline Lo, Software Engineer

Pinwheelie spotlight: Caroline Lo, Software Engineer

Read more  ➔
2021 company onsite: Bringing Pinwheelies together

2021 company onsite: Bringing Pinwheelies together

Read more  ➔
October product release: Beta launch of direct deposit allocation monitoring

October product release: Beta launch of direct deposit allocation monitoring

Read more  ➔
Why payroll data access is inevitable on your product roadmap

Why payroll data access is inevitable on your product roadmap

Read more  ➔
Security spotlight: SOC 2 compliance

Security spotlight: SOC 2 compliance

Read more  ➔
Jeff Hudesman joins Pinwheel as Chief Information Security Officer

Jeff Hudesman joins Pinwheel as Chief Information Security Officer

Read more  ➔
Welcoming John Whitfield, VP of Engineering

Welcoming John Whitfield, VP of Engineering

Read more  ➔
Announcing Pinwheel’s FCRA Compliance

Announcing Pinwheel’s FCRA Compliance

Read more  ➔
Pinwheel's statement on Section 1033

Pinwheel's statement on Section 1033

Read more  ➔
Pinwheel raises $20M Series A

Pinwheel raises $20M Series A

Read more  ➔
If I were a fintech founder

If I were a fintech founder

Read more  ➔
Pinwheelie spotlight: Phil Jen, Director of Product

Pinwheelie spotlight: Phil Jen, Director of Product

Read more  ➔
Celebrating women's history month with Sasha Pilch

Celebrating women's history month with Sasha Pilch

Read more  ➔
Tech spotlight: How we re-launched our API docs

Tech spotlight: How we re-launched our API docs

Read more  ➔
Why I chose Pinwheel: Payroll APIs as the next frontier

Why I chose Pinwheel: Payroll APIs as the next frontier

Read more  ➔
Lunch and learn with Nik Milanović

Lunch and learn with Nik Milanović

Read more  ➔
Pinwheelie spotlight: David Daudelin, Senior Front End Engineer

Pinwheelie spotlight: David Daudelin, Senior Front End Engineer

Read more  ➔
The missing link

The missing link

Read more  ➔
Introducing Pinwheel, the API for payroll

Introducing Pinwheel, the API for payroll

Read more  ➔