GOTO - The Brightest Minds in Tech Tech Leadership Challenges: Communication & AI at Financial Times • Alice Bartlett & Charles Humble
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Oct 14, 2025 Alice Bartlett, Tech Director for Customer Products at the Financial Times, shares her insights from leading a 70-person team and navigating the balance between technology and editorial priorities. She discusses the challenges of managing legacy code, the evolution of tech roles, and effective communication strategies in her leadership journey. Bartlett also addresses the impact of AI on software engineering, expressing concerns about quality and over-reliance among junior developers, while highlighting practical applications for testing and data.
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Get Briefed And Ask Questions First
- When intervening, rely on trusted principal engineers for briefings and ask many questions before acting.
- Stay curious and reflective to avoid jumping to immediate but poorly informed actions.
Trust Leaders To Triage Interruptions
- Trust strong senior colleagues to triage ad hoc fires and surface only the things that truly need escalation.
- Use scheduled one-to-ones to cover ongoing issues instead of interrupting your whole day.
Limit Interactions When You're Stressed
- Know your personal bad impulses and limit interactions when stressed to avoid unprofessional reactions.
- Make yourself unavailable for non-essential conversations until you regain equilibrium.