Daniel Reiling

Values & Principles

If you want to know what it’s like working with me, it’s important to know what I value and how I lead. I have iterated over years to build the following principles that I strive to embody and reference when making hard decisions.

Balance Matters

Family and health come first. Sustainable performance beats short bursts of “hero hours.” Applied: I respect boundaries and design my workflow so I can do great work without burning out and I encourage the same mindset in those I work with.

Shared Context, Clear Goals

Engineering thrives when priorities and tradeoffs are explicitly defined. Applied: I strive for clarity by asking questions, challenging assumptions, and making success criteria measurable. Every engineer should understand what they are responsible for, how success is measured, and not just WHAT to work on, but the WHY it matters.

Own What You Touch

Extreme ownership - Accountability builds trust and momentum. Applied: When I take on work, I follow through end to end. I raise risks early, make tradeoffs visible, and hold myself responsible for outcomes, not just tasks. When (not if) problems arise, it’s not about who’s fault it is, the focus is on what are the next steps to fix the issue (or minimize impact)

Ship and Improve Continuously

Value comes from software in the hands of users, not ideas on paper or half finished prototypes. Applied: I prioritize small iterations shipped frequently*, small wins, and feedback loops over waiting for perfection. Shipping unlocks learning, and learning drives better decisions. Ship, measure, learn, repeat.*

Strive for Quality, Pragmatically

Engineering excellence means balancing craft with impact. Applied: I raise the bar on design, testing, and maintainability, while staying pragmatic about business priorities. The goal is reliable, scalable systems that actually move the product (and business) forward.