Developer productivity drivers and detractors with Max Ka...

What this episode covers

In this episode, Rebecca sits down with Max Kanat-Alexander, Executive Distinguished Engineer for Developer Experience at Capital One, to explore the nuances of developer productivity and experience. The conversation dives deep into what actually drives — and what kills — productivity in engineering organizations. Max shares hard-won insights about why most developer experience initiatives fail (hint: it’s about not understanding your users), the critical difference between being productive as individuals versus as teams and organizations, and why treating engineers as “ticket takers” destroys software quality.Find the transcript at: https://www.swarmia.com/podcast/max-kanat-alexander-capital-one/Timestamps(0:00) Introductions(0:48) Max’s journey to Capital One(2:58) Unsuccessful developer productivity(5:37) Doing the ‘right’ work(11:01) Ticket-taker culture(15:25) Drivers of productivity(20:32) Performing KTLO work(25:40) Drivers and detractors of effective software delivery(33:16) Setting goals(40:42) The future of coding with AI(46:36) Max’s advice to junior engineersFollow Max on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkanat/Follow Rebecca on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmurphey/

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How long is this episode of Engineering Unblocked?

This episode is 49 minutes long.

When was this Engineering Unblocked episode published?

This episode was published on June 4, 2025.

What is this episode about?

In this episode, Rebecca sits down with Max Kanat-Alexander, Executive Distinguished Engineer for Developer Experience at Capital One, to explore the nuances of developer productivity and experience. The conversation dives deep into what actually...

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