Crafting Engineering Strategy: How Thoughtful Decisions Solve Complex Problems

Many engineers assume their organization doesn't have an engineering strategy - when in fact, they often have one. It just may not be working. In Crafting Engineering Strategy, Will Larson (author of An Elegant Puzzle and Staff Engineer) offers a practical, example-rich guide to navigating technical and organizational complexity through structured, intentional strategy.Written for senior engineers, engineering leaders, architects, and curious collaborators, this book walks through a repeatable process for building effective, actionable strategies. With lessons drawn from real-world case studies at companies like Stripe, Uber, and Calm, Larson provides a framework for shaping critical decisions around system migrations, API deprecations, platform investments, and more. Along the way, you'll learn to bridge technical planning with communication, governance, and systems thinking. Whether you're shaping your team's direction or leading a company-wide initiative, this guide will help you make thoughtful decisions that stick. Build durable engineering strategies from first principles Apply methods like Wardley mapping and systems modeling Lead strategy as a staff+ engineer or executive Learn from detailed case studies across industry Improve your strategic fluency and influence over time