For those of us with long careers in engineering and technology, it’s easy to look back on the early years and write them off as outdated. But during a recent visit to Scott Technology in Dunedin, New Zealand—where I began my engineering journey—I was reminded how much of that early experience still matters.

The complexity of today’s products—from smartphones to electric vehicles—demands more than just domain-specific thinking. These products seamlessly integrate multiple technologies, challenging organizations to move beyond vertical silos toward a more holistic, system-level approach

Today’s products demand seamless collaboration across disciplines—and a new kind of leader: the Super Engineer.
Super Engineers (SEs) are domain experts with cross-functional insight.

As products become more heterogeneous, the logic of the organization must reflect the complexity of the work. Ask yourself: does your structure support how your people need to work? If not, it might be time to rethink it.