Officers Eat Last, Architects Code: The Player-Coach Philosophy
Why I reject the idea that engineering leadership means graduating away from the craft. From Marine Corps principles to cloud-native architecture.
The best officers eat last. The best architects still code.
In the Marine Corps, I learned that you cannot lead people into places you aren’t willing to go yourself.
In Engineering Leadership, that principle is often forgotten. There is a pressure to trade the terminal for the spreadsheet; to “graduate” away from the craft.
I reject that.
I am a proponent of the Player-Coach model. I believe that to make high-stakes strategic decisions about cloud-native infrastructure, you need to understand the friction required to build it.
My Philosophy
1. Respect the Craft
I don’t just manage roadmaps. Whether it’s Python automation to kill drudgery or architecting event-driven systems in n8n and AWS, I stay sharp. You can’t direct the orchestra if you’ve forgotten how to play the instrument.
2. Discipline is a Feature
Complex systems gravitate toward chaos. Resilience, in software and in teams, is the result of disciplined execution and rigorous standards.
3. Automate the Mundane
If we do it twice, we script it. If we do it three times, we build a system for it. I want my teams solving interesting problems, not fighting fires.
I bridge the gap between business strategy and technical execution. I speak “Executive” and I speak “Engineer”; but I will always belong to the builders.
I’m Keith. I’m an Engineering Director, Systems Architect, and lifelong student of the craft.
Let’s get to work.