When the VP of Engineering at Operam started, there were no onboarding materials. To solve this, they created a simple onboarding checklist and handbook, and assigned onboarding buddies to new engineers. It was important to choose the right projects for new engineers and to focus on onboarding, as it makes a huge difference to the company's productivity.

Plato

Ramayan Tiwari

Senior Software Engineer at Netflix

Managing Expectations on a Highly Visible Project

This project was aimed at improving the Netflix recommendation system by taking into account user browsing habits in real-time. To manage expectations and deliver features timely, the project manager talked to users and teams to understand the most common use cases and prioritize them. A proof of concept was built and demoed to users to get feedback. The project manager also built a tool to make the raw data more visually appealing. Lessons learned included using a less adopted technology with caution, building for scale from day one, and starting integrations early on.

Plato

Kiran Bondalapati

VP Engineering at TRM Labs

Using Documentation to Increase Efficiency in the Remote Workplace

This article discusses how to increase efficiency and productivity in a remote workplace. It suggests writing things down, onboarding for projects, and having informal communication to help build relationships. It also suggests leading by example and using engagement surveys to identify potential problems.

Plato

Gene Linetsky

Director of Engineering at Poynt

The Art of Tech Blogging

This case study outlines the successful transition of a company from selling hardware to selling software. To attract engineering talent, two senior engineers were convinced to make tech-focused blog posts, followed by a business case for engineers. The number of online applications quadrupled, and several candidates mentioned the engineering blog posts as a factor in their decision to apply. The lesson learned is that a mixture of technical and big picture posts works best, engineers like to write about things they care about, engineering blogs should be visible but not too visible, and the best place for the engineering blog is on the About page.

Plato

Ashutosh Gupta

Director of Engineering and Head of Quality at SchoolMint

How to Develop a Formalized Career Path For Your Employees

This article discusses the process of formalizing a career path for an engineering organization of 45 people. Actions taken included creating better job descriptions, a self-evaluation kit, and providing training in management, communication, and technical skills. As a result, employees were able to have more control over their career progression and become more aware of how to improve their skills. The article also highlights the importance of aligning employee progression with company goals and having a tool to objectively assess employee skills.

Plato

Nani Nitinavakorn

Sr Product Owner at Revolut

Getting Creative to Land Your First Tech Job

This article details the journey of a job seeker who was unable to gain a job in the Fintech industry. To stand out from other candidates, the job seeker created a PowerPoint presentation that detailed features and business proposals related to the company they were applying for. This strategy worked and the job seeker eventually landed a job in the product management market. The article also provides lessons learned, such as the importance of leveraging experience and taking any opportunity as a junior to build a resume.

Plato

Ilya Kozlov

VP of Engineering at Taxfix

Psychology and Communication as Complementary Skills for Manager

This engineering manager took a psychology course to better understand how to communicate with people. Through the course, they learned how to adjust their communication style based on the personality of the person they were speaking to, as well as how to ask for things and build relationships. These lessons were put to use in their work, helping them to better manage their peers and build relationships with their interim manager.

Plato

Ben Retourné

VP of Product at BlaBlaCar

Managing Experienced People

Managing people of different seniority, experience, and competencies is a challenge for first-time managers. When managing junior people, it is important to provide direct guidance and protect them from ambiguity. When managing senior people, it is important to provide context and feedback, and to give them visibility and recognition for their individual efforts. It is also important to let people fail and learn from their failures, but with juniors, failures need to be highly controlled.

Plato

Who to follow

Shubhro Roy

Leader in Enterprise Search & Data Discovery, Mentoring & Conference Speaker.

Marc LeBrun

I provide vision and hands-on leadership building high-performing teams that deliver innovative technology.

Michal Licko

Board advisor, Fractional CTO, Coach, Mentor | ex-Director of engineering

Gaston Algaze

Building amazing digital experiences through next-level nearshoring!

Isa Vilacides

ex-Atlassian, ex-CloudBees

Jason Oh

CPTO, Advisor, Mentor, Ex-[Candid, Shutterstock, Etsy, Deutsche Bank, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs]

Connect and Learn with the Best Eng Leaders

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Latest Stories

Daniel Woolfson

Senior Engineering Manager at The Engineer Experience

Effective Strategies for Managing Remote Engineering Teams

Managing remote engineering teams is crucial in today's evolving work landscape. This article provides insights into best practices and proven strategies for overseeing dispersed engineering teams. It emphasizes the importance of clear communication channels, leveraging project management tools, promoting a collaborative culture, providing adequate support and resources, emphasizing results-oriented performance, and regularly assessing and adapting strategies. By implementing these tactics, managers can navigate the challenges of remote team management and drive success in the remote work environment.

Plato

Limor Bergman Gross

Executive Coach at LBG Consulting Service Ltd

Navigating the Challenges of Transitioning to an Engineering Manager Role

Transitioning to an engineering manager role comes with its own set of challenges, but by being strategic, building relationships, and advocating for oneself, success can be achieved. It is important to proactively plan one's career and advocate for personal growth and development. Building relationships with key stakeholders and finding allies within the organization can greatly help in advocating for oneself and influencing change. Understanding the motivations of others and aligning interests can also aid in gaining support for ideas. If promotion opportunities are limited, focusing on expanding responsibilities and taking on more challenging tasks can showcase potential for future growth. Seeking out mentors within the organization can provide guidance and support throughout the career transition process. Overall, being proactive, building relationships, and advocating for oneself are key to navigating the challenges of transitioning to an engineering manager role.

Plato

David García

Head of Engineering at Cense AG

Effective Strategies for Providing Feedback to Managers

This article discusses effective strategies for providing feedback to managers in the engineering field. It emphasizes the importance of constructive feedback for personal and professional growth. The article provides insights from top-tier engineers, including tips on framing feedback objectively and addressing the manager's impact. It also highlights the significance of promoting junior team members and offers strategies for providing feedback, such as asking for permission and being solution-oriented. Overall, the article emphasizes the value of effective feedback in fostering a positive and productive work environment.

Plato

Jose Ciccio

Senior Engineering Manager at Ladder Health

Maximizing Your Growth: A Guide to Getting the Best from Platohq Mentorship

Plato platform's mentorship program is designed to empower individuals on their journey towards success. By setting clear objectives, establishing a strong relationship with your mentor, actively engaging and participating, seeking feedback and implementing suggestions, continuously learning and growing, and reflecting on the experience, you can maximize the benefits of the mentorship program. Mentorship is a continuous journey of learning and growth, and by embracing the opportunity, you can unlock your full potential in pursuit of your professional aspirations.

Plato

Vitor O.

CTO at

10 Engineering Leadership lessons I learned with Customer Success Managers

Customer Success Managers can teach Engineering Leaders valuable lessons on prioritizing user needs and experience over technical complexities. By emphasizing customer-centric approaches, Engineering Leaders can ensure that products align with user expectations, enhancing satisfaction and retention. Effective communication and collaboration between technical and non-technical teams are highlighted as important for a holistic understanding of user requirements and driving product innovation. The text provides 10 lessons learned from Customer Success Managers that can optimize software development processes and deliver solutions that resonate with end-users and drive long-term success. These lessons include the importance of empathy for customers, putting into action what is advocated, enhancing the leadership voice of the customer within engineering, the significance of persuasion, the balance between support and confrontation, managing expectations, asking great questions, being invested in customers, seeking obstacles and issues beyond the product's scope, and the benefits of proactivity. By integrating these insights and strategies, Engineering Leaders can drive product development and enhance customer satisfaction, leading to increased loyalty and long-term success.

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