What is a SDM doing in a design review?

Lately, I've been hanging out in a bunch of design review meetings. Watching the dance between Software Development Managers (SDMs), engineers, and sometimes Product Managers (PMs), it got me thinking: What's the real role of an SDM in a design review?

Well, it's not just one role, but multiple ones. Here are the roles I've identified:

1. The Stand-in Product Owner: Most of the time, PMs don't show up in engineering design meetings - they're likely busy talking to customers. So, the SDM gets to wear the product owner hat, championing the customers' needs and wants. They're the ones making sure everyone's on the same page about the "what" and "why". Remember, projects don't usually flop because of 'bad' engineering. They stumble because they're trying to solve the wrong problems, or the right problems at the wrong time, by the wrong folks, in the wrong places. For instance, crafting a no-SQL datastore from scratch might be fascinating for engineers, but it's probably not the right problem for most e-commerce companies.

2. The Wise Advisor: An SDM can help engineers connect the dots, nudging them to dig deeper, think broader, and sometimes aim higher. For example, if an engineer suggests refactoring a log streaming application into multi-threaded mode to tackle scalability issues, an SDM could ask, "Are you really after multi-threading, or is it parallelism you're chasing?" By elevating the problem, an SDM can help engineers see the forest for the trees.

3. The Ringmaster: An SDM can help engineers stay on point during the meeting. When more than three people are in the mix, the conversation can quickly go wild. The SDM can help keep the discussion on track, making sure we're tackling a real problem with real value, rather than trying to solve world hunger.

4. The Curious Interviewer: An SDM can help engineers put their thoughts into words, explaining their problems and the different solution options. While an SDM shouldn't be the one calling the shots, they can definitely help the team rally around a decision. Paraphrasing can be a handy trick in these situations, like saying, "Let me make sure I've got your idea. You're suggesting xyz, right?"

5. The Friendly Coach: An SDM can keep an eye on how folks behave during the meeting and offer feedback in 1-on-1 chats afterwards. This can help everyone make future meetings more productive and, dare I say, fun!

An SDM's role in a design review is a bit like a Swiss Army knife - it's got a tool for every situation. You have to decide which role to play based on the context of the meeting. A wise SDM can make a difference in the design review process without dominating it.

"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves." - Lao Tzu