How to Scale an Engineering Organization
In today’s fast-paced tech landscape, growing and scaling engineering teams is one of the most challenging aspects of building successful organizations. We recently had the privilege of hosting Thiago Ghisi, Director of Engineering at Nubank, for an enlightening discussion on this topic. With over 20 years of experience spanning roles at Apple, American Express, and ThoughtWorks, Thiago shared invaluable insights on how to effectively scale engineering teams while maintaining productivity and company culture.
The Biggest Challenges in Scaling Engineering Teams #
Delegation: The First Major Hurdle #
According to Thiago, delegation is perhaps the most critical challenge leaders face when scaling their organizations.
“The first challenge for many people is delegation… it’s easier to think you can scale yourself vertically — working more hours or managing multiple projects simultaneously — but that’s not sustainable.”
He emphasized that delegation is not a one-time event but a process that requires patience and deliberate effort:
- Start small - Begin by delegating minor tasks
- Ensure alignment - Make sure team members understand goals and context
- Develop confidence - Gradually increase responsibilities as trust develops
- Let go of control - Let them figure out, by supporting them
And then you have to try to leverage yourself to do more and more ambitious things that are at higher levels.
As Thiago puts it, “Delegation is a process that takes time… you have to start small and it’s almost mentoring — you cannot mentor someone in one session.”
Shifting Leadership Style as Organizations Grow #
As teams scale from dozens to hundreds of engineers, leadership styles must evolve. Thiago reflected on how his focus changed when his organization grew from 30 to over 100 engineers:
At smaller scale (30 engineers):
- More hands-on involvement
- Participating in day-to-day operations
- Joining standups and directly solving problems
At larger scale (100+ engineers):
- Building leadership teams
- Sharing company vision and direction
- Managing conflicts between different parts of the organization
- Setting operational cadence and processes
“My leadership style is still the same… my essence or the way I talk hasn’t changed. But the kind of things I’m focusing on are completely different.”
Building an Effective Engineering Vision #
One of the most insightful parts of our conversation was Thiago’s approach to developing and communicating a vision for engineering organizations.
Creating a Tangible Vision #
Thiago emphasized that an engineering vision should be concrete and actionable — not just inspirational words on a wall:
“When I say long-term view, I’m not talking about an inspirational view. It’s something very concrete, very tangible… you’re walking in that direction almost in a subtle way.”
He outlined his process for developing a vision:
- Understand the external context - Where is the company headed?
- Identify internal capabilities - What can your organization contribute?
- Find patterns - Look at similar problems other companies have solved
- Adapt solutions - Customize approaches to your culture and goals
Communicating Change Effectively #
When implementing changes, transparency is critical. Thiago recommended a graduated approach:
- Start with small groups - Test ideas with your leadership team
- Gather feedback informally - Share articles or start discussions
- Incorporate suggestions - Make people feel their input matters
- Grow consensus gradually - Avoid sudden announcements
“The best strategies are when people feel they were part of the strategy… it’s not the leader’s strategy, but the group’s strategy, and everybody feels part of that.”
Transitioning from Technical Roles to Leadership #
For engineers considering a leadership path, Thiago offered practical advice based on his own journey from tech support to director level.
Two Key Qualities for Aspiring Leaders #
- Ownership - Taking responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks
- Being the glue - Handling responsibilities that fall between defined roles
“Leadership is being able to do all those things that are sitting on the corners, not letting the ball drop… I see a lot of people sitting waiting: ‘give me the task, what should I do?’ Being proactive and not waiting for instructions is key.”
He notes that it’s crucial to develop these qualities early, as they distinguish those who continue to grow from those who stagnate in their careers.
Finding Balance Between Technical Excellence and Leadership Growth #
Thiago shared a valuable perspective for senior engineers looking to make broader impact:
“Broader impact isn’t necessarily coding more or doing more things, but doing things that have a larger blast radius of impact. Are you working on problems that impact the organization, or just one small service?”
He encourages senior engineers to:
- Focus on cross-cutting concerns and architecture
- Work on platforms and libraries that can be reused
- Understand company direction and business challenges
- Balance delivery with exploration of bigger problems
Communicating Results Effectively #
A common challenge for technical professionals is communicating their impact to higher management. Thiago provided practical guidance:
“You need to understand how your job impacts the bottom line — how does the code you’re deploying affect cost, revenue, or user experience?”
His advice for effective communication with executives:
- Connect technical work to business outcomes
- Build narratives around your contributions over time
- Be curious about why features are requested
- Balance quantitative results with behavioral contributions
Rethinking Technical Interviews #
On the topic of hiring and technical interviews, Thiago acknowledged the limitations of traditional coding challenges:
“Now with AI and tools like ChatGPT solving basic problems… is it relevant these days? Why not let candidates use these tools and evaluate their ability to explain, adapt, and research?”
He shared an alternative approach he used at a previous company:
- Candidates spent a full day working with the team
- They joined standups and paired with engineers on real tasks
- Evaluation incorporated collaboration and onboarding ability, not just technical skills
This ‘day of work’ approach, while not feasible for all companies, provided a more holistic view of candidates’ abilities in actual work conditions.
Parting Advice: Remember Your Own Growth #
Thiago left us with a powerful reminder for leaders:
“Don’t forget about yourself and your own career. It’s easier to be only on the giving end — improving your organization, creating opportunities for others, delivering projects—and almost forgetting about yourself, your health, your mental being, and your own growth as a leader.”
Key Takeaways #
- Delegation is a process, not an event—start small and build trust over time
- Leadership focus must evolve as organizations grow in size and complexity
- Create tangible visions that connect to business outcomes, not just inspirational statements
- Communicate changes gradually to build consensus and ownership
- Aspiring leaders should demonstrate ownership and be willing to handle undefined responsibilities
- Connect technical work to business impact when communicating with executives
- Consider innovative approaches to hiring that evaluate real-world performance
- Make time for your own growth and well-being while leading others
As software development continues to evolve, scaling engineering organizations effectively remains both an art and a science. By applying these insights from Thiago’s wealth of experience, leaders can build more resilient, productive, and fulfilling engineering cultures.
If you found this conversation valuable, follow Thiago Ghisi on LinkedIn and Twitter for more insights on engineering leadership and organizational growth.
A short selection of Thiago’s excellent resources on Staff Engineering, building influence, and creating impact:
Breaking the Staff Engineer Ceiling pt. 1
Staff Engineer Behaviors: pt. 2 Breaking the ceiling into Staff Engineering
Staff Projects: Pt 3. Breaking into Staff Engineering