Dutchie — Product & Engineering Collaboration
Identifying capability gaps and building solutions to unblock teams
Senior Software Engineer II at cannabis tech company Dutchie. Identified frontend skill gap blocking code reviews and creating engineering bottlenecks. Designed and led 2-week internal bootcamp for backend engineers to level up frontend capabilities. Built proof-of-concept recommendation engine to automate product cataloging. This work demonstrated product thinking: identify systemic problem, build scalable solution, measure impact.
The Problem
Backend engineers needed to level up on frontend skills. Knowledge was siloed and code review bottlenecks were slowing development. Backend engineers would wait over a week to get frontend code reviewed because they didn't have relationships with frontend team members.
Culture issue: frontend vs. backend division created favoritism and communication barriers. If you didn't know someone or they didn't like you, your code didn't get reviewed. Backend engineers capable of writing frontend code but blocked by review process and lack of cross-training.
Technologies Covered: React, TypeScript, GraphQL
Strategic Approach
Pitched bootcamp to engineering managers emphasizing: cross-training reduces single points of failure when engineers leave, increased confidence across team, elimination of code review bottlenecks, more engineers capable of reviewing frontend code.
Designed 2-week curriculum focused on technologies company actually used: React, TypeScript, GraphQL. Not theoretical—practical skills for immediate application. Made myself available for follow-up questions and pairing sessions after bootcamp.
2-Week Bootcamp Curriculum Structure
Key decisions:
2 weeks (not 1) based on previous bootcamp learnings
Curriculum prioritized company's actual tech stack
Safe environment for questions—no judgment for skill gaps
Paired programming to solve real implementation challenges
Focus on confidence building, not just technical knowledge
Got manager approval by positioning as investment in team resilience and velocity, not just individual skill development.
What I Built
Cross-Training Benefits: From Silos to Collaboration
Two-week internal bootcamp for 5 backend engineers covering:
React fundamentals and component architecture
TypeScript for type-safe frontend development
GraphQL queries and mutations
Hands-on exercises with company codebase
Safe environment for questions and learning
Follow-up pairing sessions for implementation challenges
Impact: 7+ Day Wait → 5 Cross-Trained Engineers
Execution & Delivery
Led daily sessions with hands-on exercises. Created safe learning environment where engineers could ask questions without judgment. Paired with participants to solve specific implementation challenges in company codebase. Made myself available post-bootcamp for continued mentoring.
Go-to-market strategy: Beachhead approach targeting Chicago commerce centers where I have existing professional relationships. Enables rapid customer discovery and product-market fit validation before scaling.
Outcomes
Senior Software Engineer II at cannabis tech company Dutchie. Identified frontend skill gap blocking code reviews and creating engineering bottlenecks. Designed and led 2-week internal bootcamp for backend engineers to level up frontend capabilities. Built proof-of-concept recommendation engine to automate product cataloging. This work demonstrated product thinking: identify systemic problem, build scalable solution, measure impact.
