Making an impact as a software engineer at Uber

As 2021 comes to a close, I’d like to look back and share what I’ve learned this year at Uber

Making an impact with the products we build as software engineers is something we all strive for. At Uber we go one step further and set it the expectation for all software engineers to do so, and demonstrate it during the biannual performance review.

During your tenure as a software engineer at Uber you will write an impact resume and update it before each performance review. You describe the contributions you have made and how they have influenced company goals. Contributions are mainly technical: which new app features or backend services you have built and designed. Impact is described in terms of what matters to the customers and the company’s bottom line. For example, increasing gross bookings or achieving cost savings (expressed in US dollars).

Other ways to have a measurable impact on the company are by improving safety of drivers and passengers or by meeting regulatory compliance requirements.

As a software engineer you have to understand your role in the company and how the software your team builds benefits the customer in the end.

Another way to make an impact is by improving the efficiency of your team. Improvements in technology, development tools, coding quality standards, and operational effectiveness are often driven bottom-up. By coming up with improvements in these areas and spreading them across teams within the company, your impact goes beyond your individual contributions. This is called being a force multiplier.

In addition to your impact, your performance also depends on how you’ve achieved your impact. There are many ways to achieve a goal and the way we build software matters a lot. For example, when building a new product feature, do you keep all users and their circumstances in mind? Do you design systems with security and scalability in mind?

You will notice that it is impossible to make an impact all by yourself. There are often multiple teams and multiple disciplines involved in a project. As a software engineer your work depends on input by designers, product managers, and other software engineers. We should strive to make collaboration as efficient and pleasant as possible. You don’t always control the outcome of a project but the way you interact with colleagues and conduct yourself under difficult circumstances is wholly up to you.    

It is getting things done within a non-hierarchical structure.

When you join Uber after having worked at other software companies, the idea of writing an impact resume might seem strange. After all, why are you being asked to describe what you’ve done after being told what to work on? The difference is that Uber relies on software engineers to take initiative and seek out opportunities rather than following a plan. That is, even though every team does write a roadmap plan one year ahead, we are expected to respond to changing priorities and take on projects that have not been identified in advance.

In summary, there is a lot involved in making an impact at Uber. It is no easy task and you may need some time getting used to it. It starts with understanding the role you play within the company. It is seeking out opportunities and taking initiative for and driving projects. It is getting things done within a non-hierarchical structure. It is realizing we make the most impact by working together. It is about balancing the needs of achieving the business goals this quarter and building the tech foundation for the future.

Although your role as a software engineer may be small within the scope of the company, you play an essential part, and your impact is measurable. Looking ahead to the new year, there are many new opportunities. They may not be easy to achieve or well defined. But you should rely on you and your colleagues’ initiatives to define impactful projects and come together and support each other in making an impact.