Brian Scanlan: Improving Oncall Support with Meaningful Alarms

In this episode of Maintainable, Robby is joined by Brian Scanlan, Principal Systems Engineer at Intercom. Brian shares insights into how Intercom has successfully implemented a volunteer-led on-call support system, emphasizing the importance of meaningful alarms and a consistent software environment.

Summary of Topics

• [00:05:32] Introduction to the Guest's Background: Brian Scanlan discusses his role at Intercom and his experience with on-call practices.
• [00:15:10] Developing a Volunteer-Led On-Call System: Brian explains how Intercom transitioned to a volunteer-led on-call system, ensuring that alarms are meaningful and actionable.
• [00:20:00] The Role of Consistent Software Architecture: The impact of Intercom’s monolithic Ruby on Rails architecture on simplifying on-call duties.
• [00:29:46] Managing Technical Debt as Velocity Risks: Brian describes how Intercom manages technical debt through a velocity risk framework.
• [00:38:45] Improving Deployment Processes: The evolution of Intercom’s deployment processes, reducing the time from merge to production.
• [00:43:32] Treating Internal Tools as a Product: The importance of treating internal tools with the same care as external products, focusing on usability and impact.
• [00:50:56] Encouraging Small Wins in Productivity: How Intercom encourages engineers to address small productivity issues to prevent larger problems.
• [00:51:39] Balancing Innovation with Stability: Intercom’s conservative approach to engineering and how it helps maintain a stable product.

Key Takeaways

• Meaningful Alarms: Ensure that all alarms are actionable and represent real or inevitable customer pain.
• Consistent Architecture: A consistent software environment, like Intercom's Ruby on Rails monolith, simplifies on-call duties and allows for greater flexibility across teams.
• Velocity Risk Framework: Managing technical debt by quantifying its impact on velocity helps prioritize the most impactful work.
• Continuous Improvement: Regular reviews and continuous improvement are essential for maintaining a sustainable on-call system.
• Product-Focused Engineering: At Intercom, the emphasis is on building products, not just writing code, ensuring that engineers are focused on delivering value.

Helpful Links

• Intercom's Engineering Site
• Brian's Twitter
• Brian's LinkedIn
• [Book Recommendation] Choice Theory: A New Psychology of Personal Freedom, William Glasser

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