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Marc-Daniel Ortega

Marc-Daniel Ortega

Marc-Daniel Ortega is a seasoned engineering leader with a passion for transforming teams and platforms into thriving, collaborative ecosystems.
13
Apr
Monday Myth: “Soft leadership builds strong engineering cultures”

Monday Myth: “Soft leadership builds strong engineering cultures”

In trying to soften leadership, organisations stripped away the very element that allows them to function under pressure: decisive, accountable direction.
5 min read
10
Apr
We Are Hiring a Unicorn (Because Fixing the System Would Hurt)

We Are Hiring a Unicorn (Because Fixing the System Would Hurt)

It usually starts with a perfectly reasonable intention. “We need to hire someone strong.” Nothing controversial so far. Then the job description begins to grow.
3 min read
08
Apr
The Garand Thumb of IT

The Garand Thumb of IT

There is a well-known phenomenon associated with the M1 Garand: the “Garand thumb.” It occurs during loading, when the operator fails to control the bolt and the mechanism snaps forward with enough force to crush the thumb against the receiver.
4 min read
07
Apr
When Flow Breaks, Prediction Dies

When Flow Breaks, Prediction Dies

Most organisations believe they have a delivery problem. At leadership level, the question is not about velocity or sprint efficiency. It is far simpler and far more critical. Can the organisation reliably answer three questions: what will be delivered, when it will be delivered, and at what cost.
3 min read
06
Apr
Monday Myth: Adding People Speeds Things Up

Monday Myth: Adding People Speeds Things Up

When delivery slows down, companies hire. They add engineers, product managers, and coordination roles with the expectation that more hands will translate into more output. A few months later, nothing improves
4 min read
05
Apr
Friday Fun: The Living Nightmare We Do Not Want to Have

Friday Fun: The Living Nightmare We Do Not Want to Have

Once, I had a dream. A bad one. I dreamt of hiring practices that felt… off. In that dream, hiring followed a very particular set of rules.
2 min read
02
Apr
You Are Not Scaling. You Are Copy-Pasting Chaos

You Are Not Scaling. You Are Copy-Pasting Chaos

Most organisations do not fail at scale because they grow too fast. They fail because they replicate what already does not work.
4 min read
01
Apr
The Death of Expertise in the Age of Inflated Seniority

The Death of Expertise in the Age of Inflated Seniority

Depth feels thinner. Decisions feel softer. Systems drift more easily. The language of leadership is everywhere, but the substance of expertise becomes harder to find. Titles have scaled. Expertise has not.
5 min read
31
Mar
When Resilience Becomes a Lie

When Resilience Becomes a Lie

A system that continues to operate despite recurring issues does not automatically qualify as robust. It may simply tolerate dysfunction.
4 min read
30
Mar
Monday Myth: Improvement Comes from Adding More

Monday Myth: Improvement Comes from Adding More

Most organisations chase improvement like a machine spinning faster without producing more output. More processes, more tools, more meetings, more roles. Gears turning everywhere, energy consumed everywhere, yet throughput does not move.
4 min read