In this episode of the Swarmia podcast Engineering Unblocked, Rebecca sits down with Allan Leinwand, Chief Technology Officer at Webflow and serial engineering leader who has scaled teams at Slack, ServiceNow, and Shopify.
Allan shares his unique perspective on what it takes to be a successful “scaling CTO” — the type of leader who comes in at inflection points to help companies hockey-stick their growth.
Allan also offers insights on navigating the AI revolution in engineering — from how it’s changing the hiring process and accelerating junior developer growth, to using it for everything from code completion to writing performance reviews.
Building Engineering Organizations That Scale
With his background spanning from early Cisco networking to modern SaaS platforms, Allan brings a unique long-term perspective on technology evolution and what it means to build engineering organizations that can scale to serve millions of users worldwide.
In a recent episode of *Engineering Unblocked*, hosted by Rebecca Murphey, Allan Leinwand, Chief Technology Officer at Webflow, shared insights on his role as a “scaling CTO” and the evolving landscape of engineering. With a career spanning leadership roles at Slack, ServiceNow, Shopify, and earlier at Cisco and Digital Island, Leinwand discussed strategies for navigating high-growth phases and leveraging AI in engineering processes.
Leinwand emphasized the importance of deep technical knowledge in building superior products. At Webflow, he focuses on empowering teams to create powerful, no-code web development platforms that serve millions globally. He highlighted how Webflow’s engineering organization balances innovation with scalability, supporting major clients like Dell and Discord while doubling e-commerce activity on the platform.
His experience guiding Slack through its IPO and scaling Shopify’s engineering operations informs his approach to fostering rapid growth without compromising reliability.
AI in Engineering
A key topic was the impact of AI on engineering. Leinwand noted AI’s role in accelerating junior developer growth, enhancing code completion, and even aiding performance reviews. He stressed that AI is transforming hiring by enabling more efficient skill assessments, though he cautioned against over-reliance on metrics for individual performance evaluations. Instead, Webflow uses tools like Swarmia to gain insights into team dynamics and process bottlenecks, ensuring continuous improvement without micromanaging.
Leinwand also addressed performance management, noting that while economic pressures have increased scrutiny on costs, Webflow’s approach remains consistent, focusing on team-level metrics over individual ones. His philosophy underscores the importance of mentorship, with senior engineers guiding new graduates to sustain organizational growth.
With nearly three decades in tech, Leinwand’s insights highlight the blend of technical expertise, strategic scaling, and innovative tools like AI that drive Webflow’s mission to democratize web development.
