Knowledge shared by our community

Removing disruptive team member[s] will vastly improve productivity and morale

In a previous role, a manager noticed that a scrum team was not working well despite being highly motivated and technically strong. After attending meetings and speaking with team members, it became clear that one senior engineer was challenging almost any proposal or decision, causing the team to hesitate and decisions to take three times longer than needed. The manager decided to remove the engineer from the team, and the remaining team of four became more productive shortly after. This reinforced the importance of staying close to a team's dynamics and identifying early obstacles to achieving smooth collaboration and an agile tempo.

An employee intimidating others team members

A developer was excellent at complex tasks but had a negative impact on the team due to his condescending attitude. After realizing the problem, the manager took action by talking to the developer and coaching him before meetings and code reviews. Despite some improvement, the manager eventually decided to let the developer go, which had a positive effect on the team. The manager learned that they should have acted earlier and should have been more explicit with the team.

How to Grow Talent From Within a Company Successfully

In order to keep the best talent, companies must offer various paths of evolution. To transition a support engineer to tech, the employee must be ready for the change, go through a classic interview process, and build a path that both parties agree on. This model of transition has been successful when used multiple times. Spotting key employees early on is important to involve them in the process.

Giving some visibility to performing junior engineers

At a company hackathon, junior engineers took the opportunity to work on an exciting project and ended up winning first prize. This hackathon was a great way for them to gain visibility and motivation in the organization, as it allowed them to try out new ideas and show off their skills. It also strengthened bonds between employees and fostered social cohesion.

How to deal with remote workers

A manager allowed an employee to work remotely, but the experience was not positive. The manager then set clear expectations for the employee and it went much better the second time. This experience taught the manager that when expectations are set clearly, it can lead to a satisfying compromise.

Inheriting a dysfunctional team

In three months, a team had to build and design a brand new platform, but the atmosphere was not good and the team didn't know how to prioritize their work. The manager worked with the stakeholders to understand the requirements and split the team into two, setting milestones and creating a roadmap for the business to track. The team was able to deliver on time, but the manager still had to focus on ensuring clarity around business requirements and making better decisions about priority. The lesson learned was to only work on the problem that needs to be solved first and to have a manager to fill the gaps and set a vision for the team.

How to know if you need contractors or to hire new engineers?

This article discusses the decision to hire a contractor or an engineer for a mobile app development project. It is suggested that contractors are best for short-term projects with specific skillsets and timelines, while engineers are better for long-term projects that require context and care. The decision should also depend on the company's culture.

Team Members Who Miss the Daily Standup Meeting

Doctolib implemented a system to encourage developers to attend daily stand-up meetings without having to resort to reproaching or punishing them. If a developer arrives late five times, they must buy croissants for the whole team the next day, resulting in the team enjoying a nice breakfast and the developer receiving gratitude from their team.

How to hire a start-up team

When hiring a startup team, it is important to assess whether the candidate would make a good teammate and have the necessary skills. In this case, the team looked for emotional intelligence, language skills, and the ability to understand and master basics deeply. They also hired a recruiter to find an engineer with 7-8 years' worth of Rails experience. The team had to hire quickly, but also carefully, and they said no to a lot of people who were almost a fit.

How to improve the collaboration with the Product team

Doordash addressed the issue of engineers not driving business impact by ensuring that the product and engineering teams are held accountable for the same goals. This approach has improved visibility into what engineers are working on and changed the conversation away from finger-pointing to collaboration.

Struggling to delegate

The author was initially reluctant to let their team of engineers fix the custom software they had integrated, as they had done all of the customizations themselves. However, they eventually realized that it was not respecting their team and that it was a natural part of learning. They then changed their approach, giving their team members more in-depth training and allowing them to take control of the software. This shift in mindset allowed the team to actively engage with the product and relieved the author of their fear of letting them potentially mess up.

How to accelerate hiring processes

Doordash faced a situation where their engineering managers were not aligned with their recruiting team in terms of how to be involved with the recruiting process. To fix this, they made sure engineering managers were more involved with the recruitment process and set up a dashboard to track progress. This approach greatly accelerated their hiring process and they have already doubled their hiring rate. The key lesson learned is that setting concrete hiring targets for engineering leadership is the most effective way to ensure they are focused on recruiting.

Looking back on my switch from IC to management

This article discusses the transition from individual contributor (IC) to manager. It emphasizes the importance of accepting the shift in priorities and recognizing that management is a skill that requires dedication and learning. It suggests finding mentors and role models, setting goals for both yourself and your team, and keeping yourself off of the critical path of development. Ultimately, the article encourages managers to take the best parts of what they have seen from other managers and mentors and apply them to their own role.

Evaluating technical abilities when hiring

My company developed a reliable technique for technical interviews called the "dog-walking problem" which tests important technical abilities. It is a problem that increases in difficulty and can be used for any type of engineering. It is also repeatable and allows for objective evaluation of candidates. It is important to think of a problem that can be used again and again to evaluate technical skills.

Being a leader does not mean you will always be popular, and that’s okay

After being promoted to a managerial role, the author had to make tough decisions to ensure the team was delivering on their goals. They revised the performance metrics of all six team members and one of the two under-performers stepped up. However, the other one didn't follow along and the author had to terminate their employment. The author learned that as a manager, they had to be willing to make decisions that make friends and peers uncomfortable if it was in the team's and company's best interest, and to ask for advice from HR, the Director, or other managers.

How to successfully manage a global project across different countries

Concur was awarded a project by the Canadian government, and they decided to use an offshore-onshore model for the first time. The project took 18 months and grew from a team of 3-4 to 120 people, with the offshore team in India growing to 100. Through this project, the team learned how to manage remote teams, understand cultural differences, set expectations, and hire remotely. The project was successful and the client was happy, and the team learned a lot about people, communication, and expectation setting.

The Dilemma of Spending More Time on an Underperforming Employee or Letting Him Go

The manager of a small start-up struggled to find a suitable engineer to hire and eventually recruited someone with a lot of experience in the industry. However, the engineer was not used to the level of autonomy and proactivity required in the job and ended up slowing down the team. After considering whether it was worth trying to fix the problem, the manager decided to let the engineer go. The manager learned that they should have made expectations clearer from the beginning and followed up more often with the engineer.

Hiring someone with different skills

When recruiting a Head of Security for a new department, a company had to determine the scope of the job and the key attributes the person should have. To assess the skills of the candidates, they asked them to work on the actual project they would have if they were coming in the company and then pitch it to them. This proved to be an effective way to evaluate the candidates and determine their fit, methods, attitude, skills, and vision.

Creating a product after rapidly expanding a team

This article recounts the experience of an engineering manager tasked with creating a new product for their company. The team grew from three people to almost 100 in four months, and the manager had to find a way to maintain control. To do this, they created a process for code reviews, automated the repository, and built scrum teams. They also had to motivate the team and ensure customer support. Ultimately, the product was shipped with bugs, but it was a success. The manager learned the importance of inspiring people to do a good job and part equality in the early stages of a project.

Managing the transition to a remote team.

In mid 2016, a senior engineer at Lyft wanted to move back to Seattle, which would complicate the team organization. To make it work, the team split between two locations, with extra time and effort put into communication, social connections, and in-person interactions. This paid off in the cohesiveness and efficiency of the team, which now trusts each other across state lines.

Removing disruptive team member[s] will vastly improve productivity and morale

In a previous role, a manager noticed that a scrum team was not working well despite being highly motivated and technically strong. After attending meetings and speaking with team members, it became clear that one senior engineer was challenging almost any proposal or decision, causing the team to hesitate and decisions to take three times longer than needed. The manager decided to remove the engineer from the team, and the remaining team of four became more productive shortly after. This reinforced the importance of staying close to a team's dynamics and identifying early obstacles to achieving smooth collaboration and an agile tempo.

An employee intimidating others team members

A developer was excellent at complex tasks but had a negative impact on the team due to his condescending attitude. After realizing the problem, the manager took action by talking to the developer and coaching him before meetings and code reviews. Despite some improvement, the manager eventually decided to let the developer go, which had a positive effect on the team. The manager learned that they should have acted earlier and should have been more explicit with the team.

How to Grow Talent From Within a Company Successfully

In order to keep the best talent, companies must offer various paths of evolution. To transition a support engineer to tech, the employee must be ready for the change, go through a classic interview process, and build a path that both parties agree on. This model of transition has been successful when used multiple times. Spotting key employees early on is important to involve them in the process.

Giving some visibility to performing junior engineers

At a company hackathon, junior engineers took the opportunity to work on an exciting project and ended up winning first prize. This hackathon was a great way for them to gain visibility and motivation in the organization, as it allowed them to try out new ideas and show off their skills. It also strengthened bonds between employees and fostered social cohesion.

How to deal with remote workers

A manager allowed an employee to work remotely, but the experience was not positive. The manager then set clear expectations for the employee and it went much better the second time. This experience taught the manager that when expectations are set clearly, it can lead to a satisfying compromise.

Inheriting a dysfunctional team

In three months, a team had to build and design a brand new platform, but the atmosphere was not good and the team didn't know how to prioritize their work. The manager worked with the stakeholders to understand the requirements and split the team into two, setting milestones and creating a roadmap for the business to track. The team was able to deliver on time, but the manager still had to focus on ensuring clarity around business requirements and making better decisions about priority. The lesson learned was to only work on the problem that needs to be solved first and to have a manager to fill the gaps and set a vision for the team.

How to know if you need contractors or to hire new engineers?

This article discusses the decision to hire a contractor or an engineer for a mobile app development project. It is suggested that contractors are best for short-term projects with specific skillsets and timelines, while engineers are better for long-term projects that require context and care. The decision should also depend on the company's culture.

Team Members Who Miss the Daily Standup Meeting

Doctolib implemented a system to encourage developers to attend daily stand-up meetings without having to resort to reproaching or punishing them. If a developer arrives late five times, they must buy croissants for the whole team the next day, resulting in the team enjoying a nice breakfast and the developer receiving gratitude from their team.

How to hire a start-up team

When hiring a startup team, it is important to assess whether the candidate would make a good teammate and have the necessary skills. In this case, the team looked for emotional intelligence, language skills, and the ability to understand and master basics deeply. They also hired a recruiter to find an engineer with 7-8 years' worth of Rails experience. The team had to hire quickly, but also carefully, and they said no to a lot of people who were almost a fit.

How to improve the collaboration with the Product team

Doordash addressed the issue of engineers not driving business impact by ensuring that the product and engineering teams are held accountable for the same goals. This approach has improved visibility into what engineers are working on and changed the conversation away from finger-pointing to collaboration.

Struggling to delegate

The author was initially reluctant to let their team of engineers fix the custom software they had integrated, as they had done all of the customizations themselves. However, they eventually realized that it was not respecting their team and that it was a natural part of learning. They then changed their approach, giving their team members more in-depth training and allowing them to take control of the software. This shift in mindset allowed the team to actively engage with the product and relieved the author of their fear of letting them potentially mess up.

How to accelerate hiring processes

Doordash faced a situation where their engineering managers were not aligned with their recruiting team in terms of how to be involved with the recruiting process. To fix this, they made sure engineering managers were more involved with the recruitment process and set up a dashboard to track progress. This approach greatly accelerated their hiring process and they have already doubled their hiring rate. The key lesson learned is that setting concrete hiring targets for engineering leadership is the most effective way to ensure they are focused on recruiting.

Looking back on my switch from IC to management

This article discusses the transition from individual contributor (IC) to manager. It emphasizes the importance of accepting the shift in priorities and recognizing that management is a skill that requires dedication and learning. It suggests finding mentors and role models, setting goals for both yourself and your team, and keeping yourself off of the critical path of development. Ultimately, the article encourages managers to take the best parts of what they have seen from other managers and mentors and apply them to their own role.

Evaluating technical abilities when hiring

My company developed a reliable technique for technical interviews called the "dog-walking problem" which tests important technical abilities. It is a problem that increases in difficulty and can be used for any type of engineering. It is also repeatable and allows for objective evaluation of candidates. It is important to think of a problem that can be used again and again to evaluate technical skills.

Being a leader does not mean you will always be popular, and that’s okay

After being promoted to a managerial role, the author had to make tough decisions to ensure the team was delivering on their goals. They revised the performance metrics of all six team members and one of the two under-performers stepped up. However, the other one didn't follow along and the author had to terminate their employment. The author learned that as a manager, they had to be willing to make decisions that make friends and peers uncomfortable if it was in the team's and company's best interest, and to ask for advice from HR, the Director, or other managers.

How to successfully manage a global project across different countries

Concur was awarded a project by the Canadian government, and they decided to use an offshore-onshore model for the first time. The project took 18 months and grew from a team of 3-4 to 120 people, with the offshore team in India growing to 100. Through this project, the team learned how to manage remote teams, understand cultural differences, set expectations, and hire remotely. The project was successful and the client was happy, and the team learned a lot about people, communication, and expectation setting.

The Dilemma of Spending More Time on an Underperforming Employee or Letting Him Go

The manager of a small start-up struggled to find a suitable engineer to hire and eventually recruited someone with a lot of experience in the industry. However, the engineer was not used to the level of autonomy and proactivity required in the job and ended up slowing down the team. After considering whether it was worth trying to fix the problem, the manager decided to let the engineer go. The manager learned that they should have made expectations clearer from the beginning and followed up more often with the engineer.

Hiring someone with different skills

When recruiting a Head of Security for a new department, a company had to determine the scope of the job and the key attributes the person should have. To assess the skills of the candidates, they asked them to work on the actual project they would have if they were coming in the company and then pitch it to them. This proved to be an effective way to evaluate the candidates and determine their fit, methods, attitude, skills, and vision.

Creating a product after rapidly expanding a team

This article recounts the experience of an engineering manager tasked with creating a new product for their company. The team grew from three people to almost 100 in four months, and the manager had to find a way to maintain control. To do this, they created a process for code reviews, automated the repository, and built scrum teams. They also had to motivate the team and ensure customer support. Ultimately, the product was shipped with bugs, but it was a success. The manager learned the importance of inspiring people to do a good job and part equality in the early stages of a project.

Managing the transition to a remote team.

In mid 2016, a senior engineer at Lyft wanted to move back to Seattle, which would complicate the team organization. To make it work, the team split between two locations, with extra time and effort put into communication, social connections, and in-person interactions. This paid off in the cohesiveness and efficiency of the team, which now trusts each other across state lines.

Removing disruptive team member[s] will vastly improve productivity and morale

In a previous role, a manager noticed that a scrum team was not working well despite being highly motivated and technically strong. After attending meetings and speaking with team members, it became clear that one senior engineer was challenging almost any proposal or decision, causing the team to hesitate and decisions to take three times longer than needed. The manager decided to remove the engineer from the team, and the remaining team of four became more productive shortly after. This reinforced the importance of staying close to a team's dynamics and identifying early obstacles to achieving smooth collaboration and an agile tempo.

An employee intimidating others team members

A developer was excellent at complex tasks but had a negative impact on the team due to his condescending attitude. After realizing the problem, the manager took action by talking to the developer and coaching him before meetings and code reviews. Despite some improvement, the manager eventually decided to let the developer go, which had a positive effect on the team. The manager learned that they should have acted earlier and should have been more explicit with the team.

How to Grow Talent From Within a Company Successfully

In order to keep the best talent, companies must offer various paths of evolution. To transition a support engineer to tech, the employee must be ready for the change, go through a classic interview process, and build a path that both parties agree on. This model of transition has been successful when used multiple times. Spotting key employees early on is important to involve them in the process.

Giving some visibility to performing junior engineers

At a company hackathon, junior engineers took the opportunity to work on an exciting project and ended up winning first prize. This hackathon was a great way for them to gain visibility and motivation in the organization, as it allowed them to try out new ideas and show off their skills. It also strengthened bonds between employees and fostered social cohesion.

How to deal with remote workers

A manager allowed an employee to work remotely, but the experience was not positive. The manager then set clear expectations for the employee and it went much better the second time. This experience taught the manager that when expectations are set clearly, it can lead to a satisfying compromise.

Inheriting a dysfunctional team

In three months, a team had to build and design a brand new platform, but the atmosphere was not good and the team didn't know how to prioritize their work. The manager worked with the stakeholders to understand the requirements and split the team into two, setting milestones and creating a roadmap for the business to track. The team was able to deliver on time, but the manager still had to focus on ensuring clarity around business requirements and making better decisions about priority. The lesson learned was to only work on the problem that needs to be solved first and to have a manager to fill the gaps and set a vision for the team.

How to know if you need contractors or to hire new engineers?

This article discusses the decision to hire a contractor or an engineer for a mobile app development project. It is suggested that contractors are best for short-term projects with specific skillsets and timelines, while engineers are better for long-term projects that require context and care. The decision should also depend on the company's culture.

Team Members Who Miss the Daily Standup Meeting

Doctolib implemented a system to encourage developers to attend daily stand-up meetings without having to resort to reproaching or punishing them. If a developer arrives late five times, they must buy croissants for the whole team the next day, resulting in the team enjoying a nice breakfast and the developer receiving gratitude from their team.

How to hire a start-up team

When hiring a startup team, it is important to assess whether the candidate would make a good teammate and have the necessary skills. In this case, the team looked for emotional intelligence, language skills, and the ability to understand and master basics deeply. They also hired a recruiter to find an engineer with 7-8 years' worth of Rails experience. The team had to hire quickly, but also carefully, and they said no to a lot of people who were almost a fit.

How to improve the collaboration with the Product team

Doordash addressed the issue of engineers not driving business impact by ensuring that the product and engineering teams are held accountable for the same goals. This approach has improved visibility into what engineers are working on and changed the conversation away from finger-pointing to collaboration.

Struggling to delegate

The author was initially reluctant to let their team of engineers fix the custom software they had integrated, as they had done all of the customizations themselves. However, they eventually realized that it was not respecting their team and that it was a natural part of learning. They then changed their approach, giving their team members more in-depth training and allowing them to take control of the software. This shift in mindset allowed the team to actively engage with the product and relieved the author of their fear of letting them potentially mess up.

How to accelerate hiring processes

Doordash faced a situation where their engineering managers were not aligned with their recruiting team in terms of how to be involved with the recruiting process. To fix this, they made sure engineering managers were more involved with the recruitment process and set up a dashboard to track progress. This approach greatly accelerated their hiring process and they have already doubled their hiring rate. The key lesson learned is that setting concrete hiring targets for engineering leadership is the most effective way to ensure they are focused on recruiting.

Looking back on my switch from IC to management

This article discusses the transition from individual contributor (IC) to manager. It emphasizes the importance of accepting the shift in priorities and recognizing that management is a skill that requires dedication and learning. It suggests finding mentors and role models, setting goals for both yourself and your team, and keeping yourself off of the critical path of development. Ultimately, the article encourages managers to take the best parts of what they have seen from other managers and mentors and apply them to their own role.

Evaluating technical abilities when hiring

My company developed a reliable technique for technical interviews called the "dog-walking problem" which tests important technical abilities. It is a problem that increases in difficulty and can be used for any type of engineering. It is also repeatable and allows for objective evaluation of candidates. It is important to think of a problem that can be used again and again to evaluate technical skills.

Being a leader does not mean you will always be popular, and that’s okay

After being promoted to a managerial role, the author had to make tough decisions to ensure the team was delivering on their goals. They revised the performance metrics of all six team members and one of the two under-performers stepped up. However, the other one didn't follow along and the author had to terminate their employment. The author learned that as a manager, they had to be willing to make decisions that make friends and peers uncomfortable if it was in the team's and company's best interest, and to ask for advice from HR, the Director, or other managers.

How to successfully manage a global project across different countries

Concur was awarded a project by the Canadian government, and they decided to use an offshore-onshore model for the first time. The project took 18 months and grew from a team of 3-4 to 120 people, with the offshore team in India growing to 100. Through this project, the team learned how to manage remote teams, understand cultural differences, set expectations, and hire remotely. The project was successful and the client was happy, and the team learned a lot about people, communication, and expectation setting.

The Dilemma of Spending More Time on an Underperforming Employee or Letting Him Go

The manager of a small start-up struggled to find a suitable engineer to hire and eventually recruited someone with a lot of experience in the industry. However, the engineer was not used to the level of autonomy and proactivity required in the job and ended up slowing down the team. After considering whether it was worth trying to fix the problem, the manager decided to let the engineer go. The manager learned that they should have made expectations clearer from the beginning and followed up more often with the engineer.

Hiring someone with different skills

When recruiting a Head of Security for a new department, a company had to determine the scope of the job and the key attributes the person should have. To assess the skills of the candidates, they asked them to work on the actual project they would have if they were coming in the company and then pitch it to them. This proved to be an effective way to evaluate the candidates and determine their fit, methods, attitude, skills, and vision.

Creating a product after rapidly expanding a team

This article recounts the experience of an engineering manager tasked with creating a new product for their company. The team grew from three people to almost 100 in four months, and the manager had to find a way to maintain control. To do this, they created a process for code reviews, automated the repository, and built scrum teams. They also had to motivate the team and ensure customer support. Ultimately, the product was shipped with bugs, but it was a success. The manager learned the importance of inspiring people to do a good job and part equality in the early stages of a project.

Managing the transition to a remote team.

In mid 2016, a senior engineer at Lyft wanted to move back to Seattle, which would complicate the team organization. To make it work, the team split between two locations, with extra time and effort put into communication, social connections, and in-person interactions. This paid off in the cohesiveness and efficiency of the team, which now trusts each other across state lines.

Removing disruptive team member[s] will vastly improve productivity and morale

In a previous role, a manager noticed that a scrum team was not working well despite being highly motivated and technically strong. After attending meetings and speaking with team members, it became clear that one senior engineer was challenging almost any proposal or decision, causing the team to hesitate and decisions to take three times longer than needed. The manager decided to remove the engineer from the team, and the remaining team of four became more productive shortly after. This reinforced the importance of staying close to a team's dynamics and identifying early obstacles to achieving smooth collaboration and an agile tempo.

An employee intimidating others team members

A developer was excellent at complex tasks but had a negative impact on the team due to his condescending attitude. After realizing the problem, the manager took action by talking to the developer and coaching him before meetings and code reviews. Despite some improvement, the manager eventually decided to let the developer go, which had a positive effect on the team. The manager learned that they should have acted earlier and should have been more explicit with the team.

How to Grow Talent From Within a Company Successfully

In order to keep the best talent, companies must offer various paths of evolution. To transition a support engineer to tech, the employee must be ready for the change, go through a classic interview process, and build a path that both parties agree on. This model of transition has been successful when used multiple times. Spotting key employees early on is important to involve them in the process.

Giving some visibility to performing junior engineers

At a company hackathon, junior engineers took the opportunity to work on an exciting project and ended up winning first prize. This hackathon was a great way for them to gain visibility and motivation in the organization, as it allowed them to try out new ideas and show off their skills. It also strengthened bonds between employees and fostered social cohesion.

How to deal with remote workers

A manager allowed an employee to work remotely, but the experience was not positive. The manager then set clear expectations for the employee and it went much better the second time. This experience taught the manager that when expectations are set clearly, it can lead to a satisfying compromise.

Inheriting a dysfunctional team

In three months, a team had to build and design a brand new platform, but the atmosphere was not good and the team didn't know how to prioritize their work. The manager worked with the stakeholders to understand the requirements and split the team into two, setting milestones and creating a roadmap for the business to track. The team was able to deliver on time, but the manager still had to focus on ensuring clarity around business requirements and making better decisions about priority. The lesson learned was to only work on the problem that needs to be solved first and to have a manager to fill the gaps and set a vision for the team.

How to know if you need contractors or to hire new engineers?

This article discusses the decision to hire a contractor or an engineer for a mobile app development project. It is suggested that contractors are best for short-term projects with specific skillsets and timelines, while engineers are better for long-term projects that require context and care. The decision should also depend on the company's culture.

Team Members Who Miss the Daily Standup Meeting

Doctolib implemented a system to encourage developers to attend daily stand-up meetings without having to resort to reproaching or punishing them. If a developer arrives late five times, they must buy croissants for the whole team the next day, resulting in the team enjoying a nice breakfast and the developer receiving gratitude from their team.

How to hire a start-up team

When hiring a startup team, it is important to assess whether the candidate would make a good teammate and have the necessary skills. In this case, the team looked for emotional intelligence, language skills, and the ability to understand and master basics deeply. They also hired a recruiter to find an engineer with 7-8 years' worth of Rails experience. The team had to hire quickly, but also carefully, and they said no to a lot of people who were almost a fit.

How to improve the collaboration with the Product team

Doordash addressed the issue of engineers not driving business impact by ensuring that the product and engineering teams are held accountable for the same goals. This approach has improved visibility into what engineers are working on and changed the conversation away from finger-pointing to collaboration.

Struggling to delegate

The author was initially reluctant to let their team of engineers fix the custom software they had integrated, as they had done all of the customizations themselves. However, they eventually realized that it was not respecting their team and that it was a natural part of learning. They then changed their approach, giving their team members more in-depth training and allowing them to take control of the software. This shift in mindset allowed the team to actively engage with the product and relieved the author of their fear of letting them potentially mess up.

How to accelerate hiring processes

Doordash faced a situation where their engineering managers were not aligned with their recruiting team in terms of how to be involved with the recruiting process. To fix this, they made sure engineering managers were more involved with the recruitment process and set up a dashboard to track progress. This approach greatly accelerated their hiring process and they have already doubled their hiring rate. The key lesson learned is that setting concrete hiring targets for engineering leadership is the most effective way to ensure they are focused on recruiting.

Looking back on my switch from IC to management

This article discusses the transition from individual contributor (IC) to manager. It emphasizes the importance of accepting the shift in priorities and recognizing that management is a skill that requires dedication and learning. It suggests finding mentors and role models, setting goals for both yourself and your team, and keeping yourself off of the critical path of development. Ultimately, the article encourages managers to take the best parts of what they have seen from other managers and mentors and apply them to their own role.

Evaluating technical abilities when hiring

My company developed a reliable technique for technical interviews called the "dog-walking problem" which tests important technical abilities. It is a problem that increases in difficulty and can be used for any type of engineering. It is also repeatable and allows for objective evaluation of candidates. It is important to think of a problem that can be used again and again to evaluate technical skills.

Being a leader does not mean you will always be popular, and that’s okay

After being promoted to a managerial role, the author had to make tough decisions to ensure the team was delivering on their goals. They revised the performance metrics of all six team members and one of the two under-performers stepped up. However, the other one didn't follow along and the author had to terminate their employment. The author learned that as a manager, they had to be willing to make decisions that make friends and peers uncomfortable if it was in the team's and company's best interest, and to ask for advice from HR, the Director, or other managers.

How to successfully manage a global project across different countries

Concur was awarded a project by the Canadian government, and they decided to use an offshore-onshore model for the first time. The project took 18 months and grew from a team of 3-4 to 120 people, with the offshore team in India growing to 100. Through this project, the team learned how to manage remote teams, understand cultural differences, set expectations, and hire remotely. The project was successful and the client was happy, and the team learned a lot about people, communication, and expectation setting.

The Dilemma of Spending More Time on an Underperforming Employee or Letting Him Go

The manager of a small start-up struggled to find a suitable engineer to hire and eventually recruited someone with a lot of experience in the industry. However, the engineer was not used to the level of autonomy and proactivity required in the job and ended up slowing down the team. After considering whether it was worth trying to fix the problem, the manager decided to let the engineer go. The manager learned that they should have made expectations clearer from the beginning and followed up more often with the engineer.

Hiring someone with different skills

When recruiting a Head of Security for a new department, a company had to determine the scope of the job and the key attributes the person should have. To assess the skills of the candidates, they asked them to work on the actual project they would have if they were coming in the company and then pitch it to them. This proved to be an effective way to evaluate the candidates and determine their fit, methods, attitude, skills, and vision.

Creating a product after rapidly expanding a team

This article recounts the experience of an engineering manager tasked with creating a new product for their company. The team grew from three people to almost 100 in four months, and the manager had to find a way to maintain control. To do this, they created a process for code reviews, automated the repository, and built scrum teams. They also had to motivate the team and ensure customer support. Ultimately, the product was shipped with bugs, but it was a success. The manager learned the importance of inspiring people to do a good job and part equality in the early stages of a project.

Managing the transition to a remote team.

In mid 2016, a senior engineer at Lyft wanted to move back to Seattle, which would complicate the team organization. To make it work, the team split between two locations, with extra time and effort put into communication, social connections, and in-person interactions. This paid off in the cohesiveness and efficiency of the team, which now trusts each other across state lines.

Removing disruptive team member[s] will vastly improve productivity and morale

In a previous role, a manager noticed that a scrum team was not working well despite being highly motivated and technically strong. After attending meetings and speaking with team members, it became clear that one senior engineer was challenging almost any proposal or decision, causing the team to hesitate and decisions to take three times longer than needed. The manager decided to remove the engineer from the team, and the remaining team of four became more productive shortly after. This reinforced the importance of staying close to a team's dynamics and identifying early obstacles to achieving smooth collaboration and an agile tempo.

An employee intimidating others team members

A developer was excellent at complex tasks but had a negative impact on the team due to his condescending attitude. After realizing the problem, the manager took action by talking to the developer and coaching him before meetings and code reviews. Despite some improvement, the manager eventually decided to let the developer go, which had a positive effect on the team. The manager learned that they should have acted earlier and should have been more explicit with the team.

How to Grow Talent From Within a Company Successfully

In order to keep the best talent, companies must offer various paths of evolution. To transition a support engineer to tech, the employee must be ready for the change, go through a classic interview process, and build a path that both parties agree on. This model of transition has been successful when used multiple times. Spotting key employees early on is important to involve them in the process.

Giving some visibility to performing junior engineers

At a company hackathon, junior engineers took the opportunity to work on an exciting project and ended up winning first prize. This hackathon was a great way for them to gain visibility and motivation in the organization, as it allowed them to try out new ideas and show off their skills. It also strengthened bonds between employees and fostered social cohesion.

How to deal with remote workers

A manager allowed an employee to work remotely, but the experience was not positive. The manager then set clear expectations for the employee and it went much better the second time. This experience taught the manager that when expectations are set clearly, it can lead to a satisfying compromise.

Inheriting a dysfunctional team

In three months, a team had to build and design a brand new platform, but the atmosphere was not good and the team didn't know how to prioritize their work. The manager worked with the stakeholders to understand the requirements and split the team into two, setting milestones and creating a roadmap for the business to track. The team was able to deliver on time, but the manager still had to focus on ensuring clarity around business requirements and making better decisions about priority. The lesson learned was to only work on the problem that needs to be solved first and to have a manager to fill the gaps and set a vision for the team.

How to know if you need contractors or to hire new engineers?

This article discusses the decision to hire a contractor or an engineer for a mobile app development project. It is suggested that contractors are best for short-term projects with specific skillsets and timelines, while engineers are better for long-term projects that require context and care. The decision should also depend on the company's culture.

Team Members Who Miss the Daily Standup Meeting

Doctolib implemented a system to encourage developers to attend daily stand-up meetings without having to resort to reproaching or punishing them. If a developer arrives late five times, they must buy croissants for the whole team the next day, resulting in the team enjoying a nice breakfast and the developer receiving gratitude from their team.

How to hire a start-up team

When hiring a startup team, it is important to assess whether the candidate would make a good teammate and have the necessary skills. In this case, the team looked for emotional intelligence, language skills, and the ability to understand and master basics deeply. They also hired a recruiter to find an engineer with 7-8 years' worth of Rails experience. The team had to hire quickly, but also carefully, and they said no to a lot of people who were almost a fit.

How to improve the collaboration with the Product team

Doordash addressed the issue of engineers not driving business impact by ensuring that the product and engineering teams are held accountable for the same goals. This approach has improved visibility into what engineers are working on and changed the conversation away from finger-pointing to collaboration.

Struggling to delegate

The author was initially reluctant to let their team of engineers fix the custom software they had integrated, as they had done all of the customizations themselves. However, they eventually realized that it was not respecting their team and that it was a natural part of learning. They then changed their approach, giving their team members more in-depth training and allowing them to take control of the software. This shift in mindset allowed the team to actively engage with the product and relieved the author of their fear of letting them potentially mess up.

How to accelerate hiring processes

Doordash faced a situation where their engineering managers were not aligned with their recruiting team in terms of how to be involved with the recruiting process. To fix this, they made sure engineering managers were more involved with the recruitment process and set up a dashboard to track progress. This approach greatly accelerated their hiring process and they have already doubled their hiring rate. The key lesson learned is that setting concrete hiring targets for engineering leadership is the most effective way to ensure they are focused on recruiting.

Looking back on my switch from IC to management

This article discusses the transition from individual contributor (IC) to manager. It emphasizes the importance of accepting the shift in priorities and recognizing that management is a skill that requires dedication and learning. It suggests finding mentors and role models, setting goals for both yourself and your team, and keeping yourself off of the critical path of development. Ultimately, the article encourages managers to take the best parts of what they have seen from other managers and mentors and apply them to their own role.

Evaluating technical abilities when hiring

My company developed a reliable technique for technical interviews called the "dog-walking problem" which tests important technical abilities. It is a problem that increases in difficulty and can be used for any type of engineering. It is also repeatable and allows for objective evaluation of candidates. It is important to think of a problem that can be used again and again to evaluate technical skills.

Being a leader does not mean you will always be popular, and that’s okay

After being promoted to a managerial role, the author had to make tough decisions to ensure the team was delivering on their goals. They revised the performance metrics of all six team members and one of the two under-performers stepped up. However, the other one didn't follow along and the author had to terminate their employment. The author learned that as a manager, they had to be willing to make decisions that make friends and peers uncomfortable if it was in the team's and company's best interest, and to ask for advice from HR, the Director, or other managers.

How to successfully manage a global project across different countries

Concur was awarded a project by the Canadian government, and they decided to use an offshore-onshore model for the first time. The project took 18 months and grew from a team of 3-4 to 120 people, with the offshore team in India growing to 100. Through this project, the team learned how to manage remote teams, understand cultural differences, set expectations, and hire remotely. The project was successful and the client was happy, and the team learned a lot about people, communication, and expectation setting.

The Dilemma of Spending More Time on an Underperforming Employee or Letting Him Go

The manager of a small start-up struggled to find a suitable engineer to hire and eventually recruited someone with a lot of experience in the industry. However, the engineer was not used to the level of autonomy and proactivity required in the job and ended up slowing down the team. After considering whether it was worth trying to fix the problem, the manager decided to let the engineer go. The manager learned that they should have made expectations clearer from the beginning and followed up more often with the engineer.

Hiring someone with different skills

When recruiting a Head of Security for a new department, a company had to determine the scope of the job and the key attributes the person should have. To assess the skills of the candidates, they asked them to work on the actual project they would have if they were coming in the company and then pitch it to them. This proved to be an effective way to evaluate the candidates and determine their fit, methods, attitude, skills, and vision.

Creating a product after rapidly expanding a team

This article recounts the experience of an engineering manager tasked with creating a new product for their company. The team grew from three people to almost 100 in four months, and the manager had to find a way to maintain control. To do this, they created a process for code reviews, automated the repository, and built scrum teams. They also had to motivate the team and ensure customer support. Ultimately, the product was shipped with bugs, but it was a success. The manager learned the importance of inspiring people to do a good job and part equality in the early stages of a project.

Managing the transition to a remote team.

In mid 2016, a senior engineer at Lyft wanted to move back to Seattle, which would complicate the team organization. To make it work, the team split between two locations, with extra time and effort put into communication, social connections, and in-person interactions. This paid off in the cohesiveness and efficiency of the team, which now trusts each other across state lines.

Removing disruptive team member[s] will vastly improve productivity and morale

In a previous role, a manager noticed that a scrum team was not working well despite being highly motivated and technically strong. After attending meetings and speaking with team members, it became clear that one senior engineer was challenging almost any proposal or decision, causing the team to hesitate and decisions to take three times longer than needed. The manager decided to remove the engineer from the team, and the remaining team of four became more productive shortly after. This reinforced the importance of staying close to a team's dynamics and identifying early obstacles to achieving smooth collaboration and an agile tempo.

An employee intimidating others team members

A developer was excellent at complex tasks but had a negative impact on the team due to his condescending attitude. After realizing the problem, the manager took action by talking to the developer and coaching him before meetings and code reviews. Despite some improvement, the manager eventually decided to let the developer go, which had a positive effect on the team. The manager learned that they should have acted earlier and should have been more explicit with the team.

How to Grow Talent From Within a Company Successfully

In order to keep the best talent, companies must offer various paths of evolution. To transition a support engineer to tech, the employee must be ready for the change, go through a classic interview process, and build a path that both parties agree on. This model of transition has been successful when used multiple times. Spotting key employees early on is important to involve them in the process.

Giving some visibility to performing junior engineers

At a company hackathon, junior engineers took the opportunity to work on an exciting project and ended up winning first prize. This hackathon was a great way for them to gain visibility and motivation in the organization, as it allowed them to try out new ideas and show off their skills. It also strengthened bonds between employees and fostered social cohesion.

How to deal with remote workers

A manager allowed an employee to work remotely, but the experience was not positive. The manager then set clear expectations for the employee and it went much better the second time. This experience taught the manager that when expectations are set clearly, it can lead to a satisfying compromise.

Inheriting a dysfunctional team

In three months, a team had to build and design a brand new platform, but the atmosphere was not good and the team didn't know how to prioritize their work. The manager worked with the stakeholders to understand the requirements and split the team into two, setting milestones and creating a roadmap for the business to track. The team was able to deliver on time, but the manager still had to focus on ensuring clarity around business requirements and making better decisions about priority. The lesson learned was to only work on the problem that needs to be solved first and to have a manager to fill the gaps and set a vision for the team.

How to know if you need contractors or to hire new engineers?

This article discusses the decision to hire a contractor or an engineer for a mobile app development project. It is suggested that contractors are best for short-term projects with specific skillsets and timelines, while engineers are better for long-term projects that require context and care. The decision should also depend on the company's culture.

Team Members Who Miss the Daily Standup Meeting

Doctolib implemented a system to encourage developers to attend daily stand-up meetings without having to resort to reproaching or punishing them. If a developer arrives late five times, they must buy croissants for the whole team the next day, resulting in the team enjoying a nice breakfast and the developer receiving gratitude from their team.

How to hire a start-up team

When hiring a startup team, it is important to assess whether the candidate would make a good teammate and have the necessary skills. In this case, the team looked for emotional intelligence, language skills, and the ability to understand and master basics deeply. They also hired a recruiter to find an engineer with 7-8 years' worth of Rails experience. The team had to hire quickly, but also carefully, and they said no to a lot of people who were almost a fit.

How to improve the collaboration with the Product team

Doordash addressed the issue of engineers not driving business impact by ensuring that the product and engineering teams are held accountable for the same goals. This approach has improved visibility into what engineers are working on and changed the conversation away from finger-pointing to collaboration.

Struggling to delegate

The author was initially reluctant to let their team of engineers fix the custom software they had integrated, as they had done all of the customizations themselves. However, they eventually realized that it was not respecting their team and that it was a natural part of learning. They then changed their approach, giving their team members more in-depth training and allowing them to take control of the software. This shift in mindset allowed the team to actively engage with the product and relieved the author of their fear of letting them potentially mess up.

How to accelerate hiring processes

Doordash faced a situation where their engineering managers were not aligned with their recruiting team in terms of how to be involved with the recruiting process. To fix this, they made sure engineering managers were more involved with the recruitment process and set up a dashboard to track progress. This approach greatly accelerated their hiring process and they have already doubled their hiring rate. The key lesson learned is that setting concrete hiring targets for engineering leadership is the most effective way to ensure they are focused on recruiting.

Looking back on my switch from IC to management

This article discusses the transition from individual contributor (IC) to manager. It emphasizes the importance of accepting the shift in priorities and recognizing that management is a skill that requires dedication and learning. It suggests finding mentors and role models, setting goals for both yourself and your team, and keeping yourself off of the critical path of development. Ultimately, the article encourages managers to take the best parts of what they have seen from other managers and mentors and apply them to their own role.

Evaluating technical abilities when hiring

My company developed a reliable technique for technical interviews called the "dog-walking problem" which tests important technical abilities. It is a problem that increases in difficulty and can be used for any type of engineering. It is also repeatable and allows for objective evaluation of candidates. It is important to think of a problem that can be used again and again to evaluate technical skills.

Being a leader does not mean you will always be popular, and that’s okay

After being promoted to a managerial role, the author had to make tough decisions to ensure the team was delivering on their goals. They revised the performance metrics of all six team members and one of the two under-performers stepped up. However, the other one didn't follow along and the author had to terminate their employment. The author learned that as a manager, they had to be willing to make decisions that make friends and peers uncomfortable if it was in the team's and company's best interest, and to ask for advice from HR, the Director, or other managers.

How to successfully manage a global project across different countries

Concur was awarded a project by the Canadian government, and they decided to use an offshore-onshore model for the first time. The project took 18 months and grew from a team of 3-4 to 120 people, with the offshore team in India growing to 100. Through this project, the team learned how to manage remote teams, understand cultural differences, set expectations, and hire remotely. The project was successful and the client was happy, and the team learned a lot about people, communication, and expectation setting.

The Dilemma of Spending More Time on an Underperforming Employee or Letting Him Go

The manager of a small start-up struggled to find a suitable engineer to hire and eventually recruited someone with a lot of experience in the industry. However, the engineer was not used to the level of autonomy and proactivity required in the job and ended up slowing down the team. After considering whether it was worth trying to fix the problem, the manager decided to let the engineer go. The manager learned that they should have made expectations clearer from the beginning and followed up more often with the engineer.

Hiring someone with different skills

When recruiting a Head of Security for a new department, a company had to determine the scope of the job and the key attributes the person should have. To assess the skills of the candidates, they asked them to work on the actual project they would have if they were coming in the company and then pitch it to them. This proved to be an effective way to evaluate the candidates and determine their fit, methods, attitude, skills, and vision.

Creating a product after rapidly expanding a team

This article recounts the experience of an engineering manager tasked with creating a new product for their company. The team grew from three people to almost 100 in four months, and the manager had to find a way to maintain control. To do this, they created a process for code reviews, automated the repository, and built scrum teams. They also had to motivate the team and ensure customer support. Ultimately, the product was shipped with bugs, but it was a success. The manager learned the importance of inspiring people to do a good job and part equality in the early stages of a project.

Managing the transition to a remote team.

In mid 2016, a senior engineer at Lyft wanted to move back to Seattle, which would complicate the team organization. To make it work, the team split between two locations, with extra time and effort put into communication, social connections, and in-person interactions. This paid off in the cohesiveness and efficiency of the team, which now trusts each other across state lines.