Devang Negandhi- Software Engineering Manager @ LinkedIn

Devang Negandhi, Software Engineering Manager at LinkedIn, explains why getting close enough to the user to understand what actually matters, not just what is easiest to measure or what customers initially ask for is an essential component to excellent software engineeering. He explains how customer proximity, industry context, and psychological safety help engineering teams identify the right problems, challenge assumptions, and create solutions that are both useful and innovative. In this episode, we cover: 1) Why getting “close to the user” gives engineers a much clearer understanding of what actually matters from a product and engineering perspective. 2) How Devang approaches identifying the correct problems to solve rather than jumping immediately into implementation. 3) Why customers are often very good at identifying their problems, but not necessarily the best people to prescribe the solution — and what engineers should do with that distinction. 4) How industry context changes what an effective engineering solution looks like, and what Devang pays attention to when moving into a new industry or problem space. 5) Why understanding customer behavior, business dynamics, and how an industry operates helps engineers make stronger technical decisions. 6) How Devang separates surface-level requests from deeper customer needs in order to focus teams on the problems with the highest potential impact. 7) Why psychological safety is essential for innovation, especially when engineers need to question assumptions, disagree constructively, or propose ideas that may initially seem unconventional. 8) How Devang approaches creating psychological safety within his teams so people feel comfortable speaking openly, experimenting, and contributing their best thinking. #LinkedIn #EngineeringLeadership #SoftwareEngineering #CustomerCentricity #PsychologicalSafety #TechnicalLeadership #ProductEngineering #Innovation #ProblemSolving #CustomerExperience #Leadership #Podcast