Our Engineering Tenets

23 SEP 2021

From 'Lead with Data' to 'Innovate Incrementally,' learn about the nine tenets that guide Goldman Sachs Engineering.

These tenets are intended to be complementary to the Goldman Sachs Values & Principles and yet distinct to Engineering. The purpose of these tenets are to guide how the Engineering community should operate.

1. Build with Purpose

Engineers build great products starting from who will benefit from them and why it’s important for our clients. We drive commercial impact by developing innovative solutions that build on other people’s work, while constantly rationalizing and modernizing our technology stack to advance the long term strategy and deliver client value.

2. Obsess Over the Experience

Engineers relentlessly focus on the quality of the user experience. We firmly believe that a great experience is the primary driver of adoption and loyalty by our clients. We see things from the end user's perspective, constantly reducing friction and removing unnecessary steps.

3. Look Around Corners

Engineers often have to deal with uncertainty and the unknown. We put measures in place to capture signals of failure before they become real issues, and design resilient systems that deal with failure by design.

4. Innovate Incrementally

Engineers deconstruct bold and ambitious goals into manageable deliverables. We believe there is no substitute for real-world testing; therefore, we release and innovate frequently. We embrace simplicity and practicality as key design tenets.

5. Inspire Trust

Engineers strive to let their deliverables speak on their behalf. We embrace failure as an essential element of growth and we are vocal about it. We believe that trust is created by being transparent, setting the right expectations and consistently over delivering even if only by a little bit.

6. Lead with Data

Engineers constantly seek the truth, and base our opinions on measurable data. We vocally call out risks and always seek data to make decisions, dispel myths, and learn from mistakes.

7. Keep Learning

Engineers recognize that technology is always evolving at a rapid pace and that today’s state of the art can quickly become obsolete. We do not chase trends, but look at repeatable patterns and solidify our understanding of those patterns through curiosity, experimenting and constant learning.

8. Express Humanity

Engineers strive for technical excellence and achievement, while creating an environment that is connected, empathetic and grounded in deep appreciation of our colleagues. We treasure a culture of mutual respect in which everyone can feel comfortable and express themselves to their fullest.

9. Promote Inclusivity

Engineers actively promote a culture of inclusivity that empowers diversity of thought, experience and backgrounds which is essential to achieving optimal commercial outcomes. We believe an inclusive environment lays a foundation upon which our people can build their careers and thrive.