Adopting the product operating model at Priceline

Sejal Amin is the Chief Technology Officer at Priceline, where she leads product engineering, infrastructure, data, and technology operations. Pedro Gutierrez is Senior Director of Software Engineering, where he has helped drive developer experience initiatives and the adoption of Priceline's product operating model.In this episode of the Engineering Enablement podcast, Justin Reock talks with Sejal and Pedro about Priceline's journey from a project-based organization to a product operating model and the role developer experience played in making that transformation successful. They discuss how DX metrics and developer feedback helped identify organizational bottlenecks, guide structural changes, empower engineering managers, and build trust across teams. They also explore the importance of clear communication, creating a dedicated developer experience team, and how their operating model has helped prepare Priceline for AI-driven software development.Where to find Sejal Amin:  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sejal-aminWhere to find Pedro Gutierrez: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-gutierrez-b6605422Where to find Justin Reock:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinreock In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Intro(01:07) Meet Sejal Amin and Pedro Gutierrez(01:47) How Priceline's developer experience journey began(04:55) Lessons from Priceline's first developer experience surveys(06:55) How DX improved Priceline's developer experience surveys(09:47) Identifying the causes of organizational slowness(12:33) How the product operating model changed the way Priceline works(14:10) Priceline's phased rollout with DX(18:14) How DX insights drove organizational changes(19:33) Why Priceline improved developer experience before org change was complete(22:18) How clear communication builds trust(24:25) Early results from Priceline's Core Four(25:38) Creating a culture of continuous feedback to build trust(27:40) What has changed in the engineering manager role(30:10) Resources for learning about the product operating model(32:40) What Pedro learned from implementing DX(34:51) The developer experience team(35:59) How AI tools have impacted Priceline’s teams (37:20) How the product operating model supports AI-driven development(39:13) Final advice for engineering leadersReferenced:• Measuring developer productivity with the DX Core 4• Transformed: Moving to the Product Operating Model (Silicon Valley Product Group) • Team Topologies• Flow Framework• Project to Product: How to Survive and Thrive in the Age of Digital Disruption with the Flow Framework