Navigating Team Dynamics: An Engineer's Guide to Seamless Embedding at Spotify

# Navigating Team Dynamics: An Engineer's Guide to Seamless Embedding at Spotify

In most software companies, engineers are typically assigned to specific teams, each responsible for their own deliverables. While this setup can be efficient in the short term, I firmly believe that gaining exposure to different teams is essential for long-term professional growth.

That said, not all companies are receptive to this idea. In some organizations, the notion of engineers moving between teams is met with skepticism, often misinterpreted as a lack of commitment to their original team. Although cross-team collaboration is common—usually sparked by business needs—it's rare to see internal mobility driven purely by an engineer's desire to grow.

Imagine expressing this to your manager during a 1:1:

> _"I'm eager to contribute to the exciting projects happening in the XYZ team for the upcoming quarter and then bring the knowledge and experience back to our current team."_

The response can be hard to predict. It might be met with hesitation or even a suggestion to permanently move to that team instead. In many environments, this idea is seen as disruptive rather than developmental.

From my own journey, I've observed that only a few companies truly encourage engineers to embed with different teams for the sake of personal and professional development. Spotify is one of them—and it does so with remarkable thoughtfulness and intention.

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## Embedding at Spotify: A Culture of Flexibility and Growth

Spotify's organizational culture stands out in its support for embedding engineers across teams—and for good reason. Different teams require different skill sets, and those needs evolve constantly. For example, a top-tier Android or iOS engineer might be underutilized in their current team but could make a big impact elsewhere.

The beauty of Spotify's approach is its flexibility. Embedding durations vary—some last a few weeks, others span several months—based on what works best for the engineer and the teams involved. This dynamic model not only promotes skill-sharing but also fuels a culture of agility and continuous learning.

When engineers embed with another team, they typically commit full-time to that team, with little to no ongoing obligations to their original team. This allows them to be fully present and deliver meaningful impact.

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## Key Takeaways from My Embedding Experience

### 🔁 Connecting with Fresh Perspectives

Embedding opens doors to new people, fresh ideas, and different engineering styles. Collaborating with a new team helps you build relationships across the organization and expands your professional network—something that can pay dividends in future cross-team efforts or career moves.

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### 📚 Bilateral Knowledge Exchange

The learning isn't one-sided. You absorb new workflows and practices, while also bringing in perspectives from your original team. During my embed, I participated in code pairing sessions with several mobile engineers. Although my background was on Android, working closely with the iOS team helped me understand a new platform and broaden my technical scope.

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### 🌐 Exploring New Facets of the Business

Most teams focus on a specific domain, leaving limited room to understand broader company challenges. Embedding allowed me to work on a completely different business domain, giving me a more holistic view of Spotify's ecosystem. I've also seen successful examples where engineers embedded into platform teams and emerged with a deeper understanding of developer workflows—becoming more well-rounded engineers as a result.

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### 🏗️ Gaining Clarity on Organizational Structure

Especially in a post-COVID world of hybrid work, it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. Working with a different team helped me better understand Spotify's evolving organizational structure—something that's otherwise hard to grasp in remote settings.

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### 🧠 Exploring Diverse Problems and Platforms

Embedding also breaks down platform silos. Imagine an iOS engineer who wants to dive into backend systems or explore data workflows. Embedding offers a low-risk, high-reward opportunity to do so—often unlocking new passions and career trajectories.

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### 💡 Knowledge Transfer for Team Enrichment

While embedding boosts personal growth, it also benefits your home team. Engineers often return with fresh insights—from better release processes to more efficient team rituals—that can be shared and implemented. This cross-pollination leads to collective growth.

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### 🔍 Discovering Your Ideal Team

Sometimes, embedding helps you find your true calling. Working on a different problem with a new team might reveal that it's a better fit for your skills and interests. At Spotify, this transition is supported rather than discouraged, and it also gives managers clearer insights into whether the fit is mutual.

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### 🌱 Investing in Internal Talent

In the long run, investing in internal talent yields massive organizational gains. It builds a resilient, versatile workforce and reduces the "bus factor" (risk of losing critical knowledge when someone leaves). Spotify's approach cultivates a thriving talent ecosystem rather than relying solely on external hires.

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### 🎯 Diverse Feedback for Dynamic Growth

Embedding also exposes you to new forms of feedback—often from people who view your work through a different lens. This accelerates your growth, helping you adapt, reflect, and improve from varied perspectives.

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### 😀 Boosting Employee Satisfaction

When companies prioritize internal mobility, employees feel seen and supported. It signals trust and investment in their growth—leading to higher engagement and retention.

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## A Call to Action for Companies

Embedding should not be confined to isolated teams or occasional exceptions. For it to truly work, it needs to be embraced company-wide. Leaders should invest in building internal tooling to surface embedding opportunities and actively champion the practice across the organization.

In my opinion, embedding is a win-win for both engineers and the company. It nurtures a growth mindset, builds a more resilient organization, and fosters a culture of learning and adaptability.

If you're curious to dive deeper into Spotify's take on internal mobility, I highly recommend reading Spotify's blog post on embedding—a detailed look into how they've thoughtfully implemented this strategy.

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## In Closing

From my personal experience, very few companies truly champion internal mobility the way Spotify does. If you know of other organizations excelling in this area, I'd love to hear from you—drop a comment and share your insights! 🗨️

A heartfelt shoutout to all the companies investing in internal growth and building cultures that prioritize learning, exploration, and adaptability. 👏 Your commitment is shaping the future of engineering culture. 🌟

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This post is part of my series on team dynamics and career growth. Check out my other posts on mobile engineering, developer experience, and building better teams.