Work intake must flow through managers, not directly to engineers
Situation
Established new process where small customer requests go to Engineering Managers (Justin, Chris W.) for approval. EMs will attend bi-weekly CECA board review to ensure they are in the loop on incoming work.
Reasoning
Work should never go straight to engineers - managers must always be part of the process. This ensures proper visibility, prioritization control, and prevents engineers from being pulled in directions without management awareness. The CECA board attendance ensures managers see work early in the pipeline.
Additional Context
Triggered by a customer request for upstream advocacy that bypassed Product and went directly to engineering without manager involvement.
People Involved
Justin Haynes, Chris Wolford, Brady Dibble, Nathan Blackham
Source
reflection
AI Confidence
85%
Related Context
fathom
A new process for small, non-roadmap work was defined. Requests go to the Engineering Manager for approval.
Outcome
Straightforward expectation setting for the rest of the company
Recorded on January 13, 2026
Decision ID: 6eecdec8-c24e-40e3-91d5-9309fd4b44d0