In today’s fast-paced tech landscape, how does a company ensure that its products truly meet the needs of its customers? At Cribl, the answer lies in our unwavering commitment to a customer-centric mindset. This philosophy has driven our success, enabling us to develop groundbreaking solutions like Cribl Lake. The story of Cribl Lake is not just about the product itself but also about the people behind it and our unique approach to building the team that brought this solution to life.

Defining a Team

At Cribl, we define a team as individuals with distinct expertise who align to solve our customers’ problems. We adhere to ideas rather than rigid frameworks, allowing for the natural formation of frameworks and continuous iteration. This approach enables us to adapt to the unique needs of each team and project, ensuring that we remain focused on delivering value to our customers.

Building the Cribl Lake Team

When we built Cribl Lake, we wanted it to be a tightly integrated system with Cloud, Stream, Search, and eventually Edge. We practiced the Inverse Conway’s Law, structuring the team by selecting engineers with specialties in each product area to deliver one cohesive solution from a central team. This approach allowed the team to be completely united in their efforts and provide an optimized, integrated solution. Building this team was not challenging, but through open communication and collaboration, we created a cohesive unit that exceeded expectations.

Overcoming Challenges: Uniting Diverse Backgrounds

One of the significant challenges we faced when forming the Cribl Lake team was bringing together individuals from different teams, each with their unique style of operation. Rather than forcing a predetermined structure upon the team, we encouraged open communication and collaboration, allowing the team to evolve naturally through iteration and feedback.

As the project progressed, the team members began learning from each other, adapting and incorporating the best practices from their backgrounds. One notable example was the usage and billing process of Cribl Lake, which required extremely tight integration between almost every system. To tackle this challenge, engineers engaged in pair programming, fostering knowledge sharing and iterative problem-solving. By working together collaboratively, they were able to develop a comprehensive solution that addressed the complexities of the integration. This organic process of knowledge sharing and adaptation allowed the team to gradually develop a cohesive working style that leveraged each member’s strengths while effectively addressing the project’s specific requirements.

Executing as a Team

As a remote-first company, we make norms work for us, not against us. However, this also means finding the time to get on the same page. We ensure that every single meeting output is communicated, as communication is foundational for any team. We maintain high levels of communication, iterate on what’s going well and what’s not, and continuously improve. This approach has been crucial to the success of the Cribl Lake team, enabling them to work efficiently and effectively despite the challenges of remote collaboration.

Wrap up

Building the Cribl Lake team was a testament to our customer-centric approach and commitment to solving problems effectively. Through open communication, collaboration, and a willingness to learn from each other, the team members evolved naturally, developing a cohesive working style that leveraged their strengths while addressing the project’s specific needs.

As we continue to grow and innovate, we will maintain this commitment to building teams that can adapt and thrive in the face of any challenge. The Cribl Lake team’s success is a powerful example of how individuals with different backgrounds can come together, evolve, and create something remarkable when united by a common goal and supported by a culture that values iteration, feedback, and customer-centricity.

Cribl, the Data Engine for IT and Security, empowers organizations to transform their data strategy. Customers use Cribl’s suite of products to collect, process, route, and analyze all IT and security data, delivering the flexibility, choice, and control required to adapt to their ever-changing needs.

We offer free training, certifications, and a free tier across our products. Our community Slack features Cribl engineers, partners, and customers who can answer your questions as you get started and continue to build and evolve. We also offer a variety of hands-on Sandboxes for those interested in how companies globally leverage our products for their data challenges.