# Engineering Culture

- Show: [Oxide and Friends](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends)
- Published: 2022-02-22
- Length: 1h 44m
- Episode: 6
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-02-22-engineering-culture
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/58fb8010

## Summary

Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal of Oxide Computer Company discuss the nuances of establishing engineering culture, distinguishing between absolute principles and relative values. They analyze case studies from Meta, Twilio, Amazon, and Uber to illustrate how values like 'frugality' and 'urgency' can be misinterpreted or weaponized if not carefully defined. The speakers emphasize that culture must be established early through explicit hiring criteria and that changing an established culture is nearly impossible, making initial alignment critical.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-02-22-engineering-culture#t=0) Introduction: Meta's 'meta metamates me' slogan and the failure of corporate values
- [9:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-02-22-engineering-culture#t=562) Twilio's 'Draw the Owl' and the ambiguity of corporate memes
- [14:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-02-22-engineering-culture#t=863) Copying values: Sun Microsystems, Amazon, and the importance of history
- [20:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-02-22-engineering-culture#t=1243) Amazon's Leadership Principles: Timing, frugality, and customer obsession
- [27:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-02-22-engineering-culture#t=1663) Principles vs. Values: Absolutes like integrity vs. tensions like rigor and urgency
- [45:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-02-22-engineering-culture#t=2711) Turnaround CEOs and the impossibility of changing established culture
- [53:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-02-22-engineering-culture#t=3207) Sun Microsystems culture: Openness, profitability, and avoiding scandal
- [1:02:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-02-22-engineering-culture#t=3720) Uber's 'Let Builders Build' and the disconnect between leadership and engineering
- [1:21:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-02-22-engineering-culture#t=4870) Shifting culture at Joyent and Delphix through hiring and explicit standards
- [1:35:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-02-22-engineering-culture#t=5745) GE's 'Lights Out' book and the dangers of results-driven culture

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Intellectual property](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/intellectual-property)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Oxide Computer Company (company)
- Meta (company)
- Twilio (company)
- Amazon (company)
- Sun Microsystems (company)
- Uber (company)
- General Electric (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [161: Do Your Values Align with Your Company's Culture? An interview with Jim Mayer, Host of the Manufacturing Culture Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-11-14-161-do-your-values-align-with-your-companys-culture-an-interview-with-jim-mayer) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [S4E39 Kyle Valiton | Common Pitfalls of Startups, Dealing With Stress, Setting Budgets](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-10-13-s4e39-kyle-valiton-common-pitfalls-of-startups-dealing-with-stress-setting-budge) (Being an Engineer)
- [Creating Manufacturing Environments Where Engineers Can Thrive w/ Josh Tarbutton](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-12-02-creating-manufacturing-environments-where-engineers-can-thrive-w-josh-tarbutton) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [S7E14 Brad & Aaron | How To Accelerate The Speed of Engineering (Episode 3 of 3)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-03-27-s7e14-brad-aaron-how-to-accelerate-the-speed-of-engineering-episode-3-of-3) (Being an Engineer)
- [Greatest Hits: Top 3 Leadership Lessons from Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-05-11-greatest-hits-top-3-leadership-lessons-from-manufacturing-happy-hour) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-02-22-engineering-culture. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Oxide and Friends.