Loïc Houssier's guest appearances

Loïc Houssier

SimpleLeadership Podcast

Decisive Moments for Engineering Leaders

Dana Lawson

Lara Hogan

Jean Hsu

Nick Caldwell

Will Larson

Darragh Curran

David Lynch

Joe Goldberg

Claire Lew

Patrick Kua

Liam Martin

Jon Thornton

James Hood

Camille Fournier

Jen Dary

OwlTail

In this episode — DocuSign's VP of Engineering (Loïc Houssier) chats about the lessons he learned as a leader while his company underwent a re-organization.1:53 - Reorgs not driven by growth2:43 - Accepting change as a manager3:50 - Product company moving towards portfolio company5:30 - How to organize your company to manage innovation9:04 - How a new idea or project becomes a revenue stream12:09 - The mindset of incremental innovation14:14 - Affects of a GM approach16:43 - Learning from every manager17:24 - Biases aside18:45 - Changing the definition of “done”19:51 - Thinking about the business value22:05 - Managing expectations26:43 - Difference in friction zones29:30 - Empowered or not?31:46: Emotional vs rational33:58 - Providing space and then moving onSupport the show (https://www.platohq.com/)

In this episode — DocuSign's VP of Engineering (Loïc Houssier) chats about the lessons he learned as a leader while his company underwent a re-organization.<ul><li>1:53 - Reorgs not driven by growth</li><li>2:43 - Accepting change as a manager</li><li>3:50 - Product company moving towards portfolio company</li><li>5:30 - How to organize your company to manage innovation</li><li>9:04 - How a new idea or project becomes a revenue stream</li><li>12:09 - The mindset of incremental innovation</li><li>14:14 - Affects of a GM approach</li><li>16:43 - Learning from every manager</li><li>17:24 - Biases aside</li><li>18:45 - Changing the definition of “done”</li><li>19:51 - Thinking about the business value</li><li>22:05 - Managing expectations</li><li>26:43 - Difference in friction zones</li><li>29:30 - Empowered or not?</li><li>31:46: Emotional vs rational</li><li>33:58 - Providing space and then moving on</li></ul> <a href="https://www.platohq.com/" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a> (<a href="https://www.platohq.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.platohq.com/</a>)

"Leading during changing circumstances" with DocuSign's VP of Engineering, Loïc Houssier 

In this episode, the VP of Engineering at DocuSign (Loïc Houssier) shares what he learned from his early days to his role a a senior leader at a well-known B2B company. Episode highlights:1:15 - Being empathetic to reactions of the Coronavirus3:43 - First managerial mistake8:20 - What he learned during a break from the software industry10:44 - Being humble in a new workplace14:36 - How his youth sparked his curiosity17:14 - Building new relationships, especially outside the Engineering department18:42 - What DocuSign’s CEO taught Loic 19:42 - Why he returned to engineering management22:20 - What makes operational excellence important to eng managers24:45 - CTO versus VP of Engineering26:42 - Being an eng leader during an acquisition31:20 - Going from a unknown company to working at a known brand32:30 - Variations in workplace practices: US and France36:40 - Approaching situations based on cultural knowledgeSupport the show (https://www.platohq.com/)

In this episode, the VP of Engineering at DocuSign (Loïc Houssier) shares what he learned from his early days to his role a a senior leader at a well-known B2B company. Episode highlights:<ul><li>1:15 - Being empathetic to reactions of the Coronavirus</li><li>3:43 - First managerial mistake</li><li>8:20 - What he learned during a break from the software industry</li><li>10:44 - Being humble in a new workplace</li><li>14:36 - How his youth sparked his curiosity</li><li>17:14 - Building new relationships, especially outside the Engineering department</li><li>18:42 - What DocuSign’s CEO taught Loic </li><li>19:42 - Why he returned to engineering management</li><li>22:20 - What makes operational excellence important to eng managers</li><li>24:45 - CTO versus VP of Engineering</li><li>26:42 - Being an eng leader during an acquisition</li><li>31:20 - Going from a unknown company to working at a known brand</li><li>32:30 - Variations in workplace practices: US and France</li><li>36:40 - Approaching situations based on cultural knowledge</li></ul><a href="https://www.platohq.com/" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a> (<a href="https://www.platohq.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.platohq.com/</a>)

"Fundamental Learnings for Engineering Managers" with DocuSign's VP of Engineering, Loïc Houssier

Effectively leading a team through an acquisition or merger can be shaky ground to navigate. You aren’t just dealing with merging teams, tech stack, and processes—but also a culture. Your team needs leadership that is open, honest, and transparent about the process. If your company is going through a merger or acquisition and you want to arm yourself with some tools to manage your team efficiently through the process, learn from the expertise of today’s guest, Loïc Houssier. In this episode of Simple Leadership, Loïc and I discuss what he’s learned about leadership, what his mistakes have taught him, and how he managed his team through multiple mergers. With a background in Mathematics and Cryptography, Loic launched his career as a security researcher in France. As his career evolved, he took on management roles in Software Engineering—focusing on Critical Infrastructure of European Administrations—for Orange, Thales, and Naval Group. He joined a startup, OpenTrust, to help with its growth and organize the teams and eventually became the CTO. Loïc joined DocuSign via the acquisition of OpenTrust 4 years ago and is now the VP of Engineering and based in San Francisco. His role is leading the Docusign effort on Mobile, eCommerce and Billing systems. Outline of This Episode  [2:42] Loïc’s background in the industry [8:24] Using non-technical skills to influence [12:22] Assign the right task to the right people [16:13] Focus on priorities and don’t micro-manage [20:30] Leading your team through a merger [26:35] Dealing with after-merge changes [30:55] Efficiently scaling engineering teams [35:35] Introducing measurement and metrics [40:33] Books Loïc recommends  Operating in different industries help you become a better leader With Loïc’s background as a research engineer in the field of security, he was used to being the voice of expertise in a room. As he moved through different organizations and moved into managerial roles, he worked in areas where he was not the technical expert. It was an eye-opening experience for him. Loïc had to learn to put his ego aside and find other ways to get his teams to listen to him. PerLoïc, “You don’t have to be the best technical person in the room to make a decision”.  Armed with the knowledge that he wasn’t always going to be the expert, he sought to find ways to learn to listen to his team. Even without the technical knowledge, he could help solve their problems and make decisions. Loïc encourages you to try something completely different than your area of expertise for the humbling experience—and learning lessons—you’ll get. The higher up you move the more you have to rely on your non-technical skills to influence, communicate and get things done.  Mistakes can be a catalyst for growth When you take on a management role you quickly learn that everyone is gifted differently. Some people, like Loïc, are more outspoken and on-task go-getters. Other people can be quiet and painstakingly detail-oriented. Loïc experienced this firsthand with a team he was assigned to for a government project. He assigned a team-member a task that he expected to take a couple of days. But it took almost 4 weeks for him to submit the requested document—after being asked for it multiple times. Loïc went to his superior, fuming, stating there’s no way he could continue to work with someone who wasted his time. After explaining the situation to his boss, his manager flat-out told him that the mistake was his. He had assigned the wrong task to the wrong person. Loïc learned that as a manager, his role was “Not to change people, but to understand how people are efficient in their own way and give them the work where they will be successful.''  The team member that he struggled to understand? Loïc placed him in a role that was a much better fit—managing configuration management. He excelled in the role and did amazingly well. Loïc learned you can’t be quick to judge people who are different. Instead, you must take a step back and approach the situation through a different lens. You may yield unexpected results.  What Loïc learned about managing people through a merger When a company is acquired and your team is about to be integrated into a new culture, it can be disruptive. If you’re in a leadership role, it can be difficult to navigate the changes while keeping your team calm and collected. Loïc has learned that your #1 priority needs to be setting clear expectations as soon as possible. When people don’t have clarity about their ongoing role it leaves room for fear. This can lead to friction between the merging teams which in turn leads to a lack of efficiency.  You must aim to be as transparent as possible. Tell your team why the business is being acquired—were they looking to complement their software? Add to their tech stack? Perhaps the acquiring company was looking for a marketing asset? Stay apprised of the situation so that you can communicate with your team and alleviate any concerns that may have.  Dealing with implementing changes post-merger Whether your team is prepared or not a merger comes with significant change. As you’re leading your team you must help them embrace the change—not fight it. The team might need to learn a new system or process. They may even have to change what instant messaging platform they’re using. Although change can be frustrating, encourage them as they’re integrating. Sometimes you must accept changes that aren’t optimal for your team for the good of the company. Loïc also noted that your team needs to have a sense of purpose, a mission. It isn’t just about integrating into the new company but making sure they are bought in and invested in the vision of the new company. People need to belong to something bigger. If you can effectively help them connect with a vision, it can also help to lower turnover as the two teams become one.  Loïc and I talk about efficiently scaling teams, the process of innovation, and introducing metrics and measurement. Be sure to listen to the episode for the whole conversation! Resources &amp; People Mentioned  BOOK: Zone to Win by Geoffrey A. Moore BOOK: Bad Blood by John Carreyrou BOOK: Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace  Connect with Loïc Houssier   LinkedIn Twitter  Connect With Christian McCarrick and SimpleLeadership  http://simpleleadership.io/ Christian on LinkedIn Christian on Twitter: @CMcCarrick   Subscribe to SIMPLELEADERHIP onApple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Player FM, TuneIn, iHeart Radio

Effectively leading a team through an acquisition or merger can be shaky ground to navigate. You aren’t just dealing with merging teams, tech stack, and processes—but also a culture. Your team needs leadership that is open, honest, and transparent about the process. If your company is going through a merger or acquisition and you want to arm yourself with some tools to manage your team efficiently through the process, learn from the expertise of today’s guest, Loïc Houssier. In this episode of Simple Leadership, Loïc and I discuss what he’s learned about leadership, what his mistakes have taught him, and how he managed his team through multiple mergers. With a background in Mathematics and Cryptography, Loic launched his career as a security researcher in France. As his career evolved, he took on management roles in Software Engineering—focusing on Critical Infrastructure of European Administrations—for Orange, Thales, and Naval Group. He joined a startup, OpenTrust, to help with its growth and organize the teams and eventually became the CTO. Loïc joined DocuSign via the acquisition of OpenTrust 4 years ago and is now the VP of Engineering and based in San Francisco. His role is leading the Docusign effort on Mobile, eCommerce and Billing systems. Outline of This Episode <ul> <li>[2:42] Loïc’s background in the industry</li> <li>[8:24] Using non-technical skills to influence</li> <li>[12:22] Assign the right task to the right people</li> <li>[16:13] Focus on priorities and don’t micro-manage</li> <li>[20:30] Leading your team through a merger</li> <li>[26:35] Dealing with after-merge changes</li> <li>[30:55] Efficiently scaling engineering teams</li> <li>[35:35] Introducing measurement and metrics</li> <li>[40:33] Books Loïc recommends</li> </ul> Operating in different industries help you become a better leader With Loïc’s background as a research engineer in the field of security, he was used to being the voice of expertise in a room. As he moved through different organizations and moved into managerial roles, he worked in areas where he was not the technical expert. It was an eye-opening experience for him. Loïc had to learn to put his ego aside and find other ways to get his teams to listen to him. PerLoïc, “You don’t have to be the best technical person in the room to make a decision”.  Armed with the knowledge that he wasn’t always going to be the expert, he sought to find ways to learn to listen to his team. Even without the technical knowledge, he could help solve their problems and make decisions. Loïc encourages you to try something completely different than your area of expertise for the humbling experience—and learning lessons—you’ll get. The higher up you move the more you have to rely on your non-technical skills to influence, communicate and get things done.  Mistakes can be a catalyst for growth When you take on a management role you quickly learn that everyone is gifted differently. Some people, like Loïc, are more outspoken and on-task go-getters. Other people can be quiet and painstakingly detail-oriented. Loïc experienced this firsthand with a team he was assigned to for a government project. He assigned a team-member a task that he expected to take a couple of days. But it took almost 4 weeks for him to submit the requested document—after being asked for it multiple times. Loïc went to his superior, fuming, stating there’s no way he could continue to work with someone who wasted his time. After explaining the situation to his boss, his manager flat-out told him that the mistake was his. He had assigned the wrong task to the wrong person. Loïc learned that as a manager, his role was “Not to change people, but to understand how people are efficient in their own way and give them the work where they will be successful.''  The team member that he struggled to understand? Loïc placed him in a role that was a much better fit—managing configuration management. He excelled in the role and did amazingly well. Loïc learned you can’t be quick to judge people who are different. Instead, you must take a step back and approach the situation through a different lens. You may yield unexpected results.  What Loïc learned about managing people through a merger When a company is acquired and your team is about to be integrated into a new culture, it can be disruptive. If you’re in a leadership role, it can be difficult to navigate the changes while keeping your team calm and collected. Loïc has learned that your #1 priority needs to be setting clear expectations as soon as possible. When people don’t have clarity about their ongoing role it leaves room for fear. This can lead to friction between the merging teams which in turn leads to a lack of efficiency.  You must aim to be as transparent as possible. Tell your team why the business is being acquired—were they looking to complement their software? Add to their tech stack? Perhaps the acquiring company was looking for a marketing asset? Stay apprised of the situation so that you can communicate with your team and alleviate any concerns that may have.  Dealing with implementing changes post-merger Whether your team is prepared or not a merger comes with significant change. As you’re leading your team you must help them embrace the change—not fight it. The team might need to learn a new system or process. They may even have to change what instant messaging platform they’re using. Although change can be frustrating, encourage them as they’re integrating. Sometimes you must accept changes that aren’t optimal for your team for the good of the company. Loïc also noted that your team needs to have a sense of purpose, a mission. It isn’t just about integrating into the new company but making sure they are bought in and invested in the vision of the new company. People need to belong to something bigger. If you can effectively help them connect with a vision, it can also help to lower turnover as the two teams become one.  Loïc and I talk about efficiently scaling teams, the process of innovation, and introducing metrics and measurement. Be sure to listen to the episode for the whole conversation! Resources &amp; People Mentioned <ul> <li>BOOK: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Zone-Win-Organizing-Compete-Disruption-ebook/dp/B016R3G2GY" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Zone to Win</a> by Geoffrey A. Moore</li> <li>BOOK: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Blood-Secrets-Silicon-Startup/dp/152473165X" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Bad Blood</a> by John Carreyrou</li> <li>BOOK: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Inc-Overcoming-Unseen-Inspiration/dp/0812993012" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Creativity, Inc.</a> by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace</li> </ul> Connect with Loïc Houssier  <ul> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/houssier/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/hobbes188" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a></li> </ul> Connect With Christian McCarrick and SimpleLeadership <ul> <li><a href="http://simpleleadership.io/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://simpleleadership.io/</a></li> <li>Christian <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmccarrick/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">on LinkedIn</a></li> <li>Christian on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/cmccarrick" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@CMcCarrick</a></li> </ul> Subscribe to SIMPLELEADERHIP on<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/simpleleadership-podcast/id1260241682" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, Google Podcasts, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3tuPkrzCPuQlnbYR1OYXUX?si=Ofl_VfE-T1izgzrMxHtkdQ" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://player.fm/series/simpleleadership-podcast" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Player FM</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business/SimpleLeadership-p1042519/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-simpleleadership-po-28782662/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">iHeart Radio</a>