Dropbox uses DX Core 4 to define and measure engineering velocity

Dropbox, a leader in cloud storage and collaboration, recognizes the importance of developer productivity in driving innovation. With thousands of engineers building and maintaining its products, CEO Drew Houston explains, “Engineering is our single largest investment, and a company that gets twice the miles per gallon of brainpower will build better products and operate far more efficiently than one that doesn’t.”

“When we started this journey two years ago, we had no idea how to measure it or what metrics to use.”

Sheila Wakida, Sr. Director of Engineering, Dropbox

Measuring developer productivity is often a difficult challenge, and Dropbox faced hurdles in its early attempts. “When we started this journey two years ago, we had no idea how to measure it or what metrics to use,” shares Sheila Wakida, Senior Director of Engineering. To overcome this challenge and adopt a proven approach, Dropbox partnered with DX.

Dropbox selected DX thanks to its comprehensive platform that pairs sentiment metrics with operational data to uncover bottlenecks and benchmark performance against peer companies. “Having data on engineering productivity is like getting a blood panel or CAT scan into the organization,” says Houston.

Having data is one thing, but distilling it down to a set of key metrics for leadership to align around is another. The DX Core 4 framework provided Dropbox with a clear set of metrics with which all teams and initiatives could be measured. Houston notes, “We can view our progress in aggregate or drill down to individual squads and teams, then compare against industry benchmarks at any level of specificity.”

“Every CEO who has engineers on payroll should really care about this investment.”

Drew Houston, CEO, Dropbox

Thanks to DX and the DX Core 4, Dropbox has been able to drive forward numerous initiatives in a focused and aligned way. Sheila Wakida shares, “When we started, it was like ‘what is DORA? What is SPACE?’. It all makes sense now. With the help of DX, we’ve been able to blaze a trail in terms of tackling this whole notion of developer productivity.”

For Dropbox, prioritizing developer productivity keeps engineering a competitive advantage, fueling the innovation needed to stay ahead. As Dropbox continues to grow, DX remains a cornerstone of its engineering strategy. Houston shares, “Every CEO who has engineers on payroll should really care about this investment.”

For more on Dropbox’s developer productivity journey, check out our customer video:

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