Truly enjoyed this one. Curious if this all centers around X-“engineer”; probably more often than not in the short term, with differentiation required in the long term. Interesting stuff.
Excellent piece on how Palantir basically weaponized titling strategy. The real brilliance wasnt just rebranding client facing roles but understanding that org charts lag capability shifts by years. When somene realizes the leverage early and names it, they own recruitment mindshare indefinitely. Harvey's 'legal engineer' push is smart but they gotta be careful not to outpace what teh work actually is.
The semiconductor has had this role for a long time, in the form of "Field Application Engineers". I am one myself, and spend 50% of my week at customer sites or on calls/messaging them, solving engineering challenges. It's interesting to see whether this nomenclature makes its way over to the industry.
Truly enjoyed this one. Curious if this all centers around X-“engineer”; probably more often than not in the short term, with differentiation required in the long term. Interesting stuff.
Thanks for the kind words!
This is great
This idea is also the reason Elon names different teams or differnet roles in his companies the way he does.
Excellent piece on how Palantir basically weaponized titling strategy. The real brilliance wasnt just rebranding client facing roles but understanding that org charts lag capability shifts by years. When somene realizes the leverage early and names it, they own recruitment mindshare indefinitely. Harvey's 'legal engineer' push is smart but they gotta be careful not to outpace what teh work actually is.
Enjoyed this piece!
Identity shaping: people act to match the label. Call someone an “owner”, and they start protecting outcomes, not just shipping tasks.
Legitimacy + power routing: it tells the org where authority should sit when reality gets messy, closer to the customer and the fight.
The semiconductor has had this role for a long time, in the form of "Field Application Engineers". I am one myself, and spend 50% of my week at customer sites or on calls/messaging them, solving engineering challenges. It's interesting to see whether this nomenclature makes its way over to the industry.
“It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.” - Niccolo Machiavelli
“title arbitrage”—Two MODELBUSTER
WORDS built by a16z—words that change Everything—only a16z is talking about the most overlooked art of recognition…