While I agree there is some title tweaking going on, IMO the empathy you speak of needs to go in both directions, especially if you're a smaller organization. I

While I agree there is some title tweaking going on, IMO the empathy you speak of needs to go in both directions, especially if you're a smaller organization. It really needs to be, as you say, shared. If shipping shit yesterday is the only goal your developers have in mind, they really can't expect quality Systems Engineering. They need to recognize that Systems Engineering is very much Engineering in the same sense as development and sometimes it can be just as if not more difficult and intellectually demanding especially in the face of such social pressures. Everyone needs to be on the same page. Hence the need for such a culture and probably for an elevated title. I speak as someone who's worked in both roles and who's never read The Phoenix Project (tbqh).