In this episode of the Soft Skills Engineering podcast, the hosts dive into the pitfalls of being overly fixated on metrics and the need to navigate corporate politics effectively. They share insights from a listener who faced challenges due to an excessive emphasis on service reliability, illustrating how this narrow focus can hinder progress and foster a toxic work environment. Additionally, they offer advice to another listener on how to use their position on a "keep engineers happy" list to negotiate a raise, stressing the importance of aligning the request with the company's needs and risk management. The conversation highlights the struggle of balancing corporate goals with personal career aspirations in large organizations, as well as the unintended consequences that can arise from well-meaning initiatives.
