Building a new engineering team by turning another one around - Tips from Tinder

Level-up Engineering

Transforming teams doesn’t go without its challenges.

Let’s look at Tinder’s example.

In this episode, Chris O'Brien, Director of Engineering at Tinder, shares his insights on building and leading engineering teams, particularly focusing on turning around existing teams. He discusses transforming teams, transitioning into a leadership role, Tinder’s culture and hiring process and a lot more.

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In this interview we're covering:

• Building a new team by turning another one around
• Transitioning into a leadership role
• Tinder’s culture
• Keeping business, customer and team needs aligned
• Tinder’s hiring process

Excerpt from the interview:

“Change isn't easy for anyone, especially in the workplace where stability and predictability matter. Switching teams suddenly can be unsettling, and it takes time for people to adapt and build trust with their new colleagues. That's why I've always believed in prioritizing relationship-building. It's something my mentor taught me early on, and it's proven to be invaluable. When there's already a foundation of trust and camaraderie, transitions become smoother, and teams become stronger.”