Honestly, our industry has such a love affair with engineering at this point that at many companies you can easily have an impact in these areas if you're senio

Honestly, our industry has such a love affair with engineering at this point that at many companies you can easily have an impact in these areas if you're senior enough. And by "senior enough" I don't mean having a big enough title. These groups are willing to collaborate with people who show honest interest and appreciation for the problems they're trying to solve and the roadblocks they hit while doing so. It may sound a little chicken and egg, but I think part of how senior people demonstrate their seniority is to successfully work outside their silo. Unfortunately many engineers fall into one of two traps: waiting for permission to do this kind of work or -- the flip side -- barging in without having a clear way to contribute.