Every engineering leader wants their team to ship faster without breaking stuff. But actually improving software delivery performance? It’s not about working harder or cramming in more hours. On the Engineering Success Podcast, Nathan Harvey from Google DORA and Rishi from DevDynamics shared some no-BS advice on how to get better at delivering value.

Focus on smaller changes

Nathan kept it real:

"The best way to improve software delivery performance is to ship smaller changes. Small changes move through the pipeline faster. They’re easier to test. They’re easier to review. And when something goes wrong, they’re easier to roll back."

Smaller changes mean fewer headaches. If your team is still pushing giant pull requests, it’s time to rethink that approach.

Rishi backed it up:

"When we were building DevDynamics, we learned the hard way that big changes slow everything down. Now we make it a rule to ship small and often. It keeps us flexible and fast."

Automate where it makes sense

Automation isn’t just about saving time,it’s about making things consistent and cutting down on dumb mistakes. Nathan explained:

"Automate repetitive tasks like testing and deployments. The more you automate, the more your team can focus on solving real problems instead of babysitting the pipeline."

But he also kept it grounded:

"Not everything needs to be automated. Start with high-impact areas like CI CD, and expand from there. Automation is a tool, not the goal."

Invest in developer experience

You can’t fix delivery issues if your team’s struggling with crappy tools or clunky workflows. Nathan laid it out:

"Developer experience is key. If your tools and processes are slowing your team down, you’re not just wasting time,you’re burning out your engineers."

Some basics to get right:

• Use tools developers actually like (not just what’s cheapest or easiest to buy).
• Simplify processes so engineers aren’t constantly juggling a million things.
• Make sure teams can collaborate without stepping on each other’s toes.

Measure what matters

Nathan and Rishi agreed,you can’t improve what you don’t measure. But don’t fall into the trap of tracking everything:

"Focus on the metrics that actually drive outcomes. Deployment frequency. Lead time for changes. Change failure rate. Time to restore service. If you’re looking at 20 metrics, you’re looking at too many," Nathan said.

Rishi shared what’s worked for his team:

"We track the DORA metrics and nothing else. They give us enough visibility to know where we’re improving and where we need to dig in."

Build a culture of continuous improvement

Nathan stressed the importance of mindset:

"You’re not going to become an elite performer overnight. It’s about making small, iterative improvements and staying committed to getting better over time."

Rishi kept it practical:

"We tell our team all the time,don’t aim for perfect. Aim for progress. Every sprint is a chance to learn and improve."

Takeaways for engineering leaders

1. Break work into smaller changes and ship more often.
2. Automate repetitive tasks but don’t overdo it.
3. Fix the tools and processes that frustrate your team.
4. Focus on the core metrics that actually matter.
5. Keep improving one step at a time.

Improving software delivery isn’t about quick fixes or shortcuts. It’s about building better habits, tracking what works, and sticking with it. As Nathan said:

"The goal isn’t to be perfect. The goal is to get better. And when you do that consistently, performance takes care of itself."