Admin Tax is Killing Your Engineering Team | Episode 11

 Every engineering team pays a tax. The question is: how much?In this episode of Tech Council, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke spotlight the unspoken, underestimated cost of audit prep, compliance checklists, and spreadsheet-driven project tracking - the administrative tax. Administrative tax is the accumulation of compliance requirements, audit demands, spreadsheet sprawl, and redundant manual workflows that keep smart people from doing the work they were actually hired to do.If you’re a CTO or engineering leader aiming to operationalize strategy while scaling cleanly, this episode offers a data-driven roadmap.Top Takeaways: The administrative tax is a significant burden on organizationsRegulatory pressures have intensified in recent years, impacting operational efficiencyPerverse incentives can lead to inefficiencies and increased workloadApp managers are often the most affected by administrative taxMaintaining a clear inventory is crucial for effective managementAutomation can help alleviate the administrative tax burdenOrganizations need to measure their progress and define what 'good' looks likeThe Cobra effect illustrates how poorly designed incentives can worsen problemsEffective governance is essential for managing administrative taxSmart people in organizations want to improve processes but face limitationsMentioned in the Episode:Internal Tech Emails on X (Twitter) - https://x.com/TechEmails Internal Tech Emails post on X about Mark Zuckerberg’s memo about Strategy Tax - https://x.com/TechEmails/status/1944451283236303184  Connect with us:Duncan MapesDevGrid.ioDevGrid on LinkedInDevGrid on X