Knowledge shared by our community

Overcoming Either/Or of Tech Debt

Most managers struggle with the dilemma of working on features or tech debt, often flip-flopping between the two. To address this, a senior leader should step in and make Product and Engineering agree to allocate 20-30% to either one of them at all times. This will allow for a non-antagonistic relationship between the two and ensure that both tech debt and features are worked on in parallel. Long-term investment in tech debt is essential for software development, and the payback is a steady velocity.

The In-Between of Being an IC and a Manager

A company attempted to create a split role between management and individual contribution, but after two years, realized that it was not working. The role was difficult to succeed in because it was incompatible with the two activities, and many people chose one over the other. The company then decided to make management a dedicated role and to have realistic expectations communicated to team leads.

Coaching Before Radical Candor

This article discusses the author's experience with managing a team of PMs, and how they failed to meet their deadline due to lack of feedback. The author then took action by providing feedback on the spot, publicly explaining the consequences of underperformance, and shifting their mindset to become more proactive. The article also highlights the importance of challenging the status quo, being responsible for the team as a whole, and investing in emotional intelligence.

Moving from Data as a Product to Data as a Service

A data PM works with cross-functional teams in the B2B2C space to provide data products and insights to generate customer outcomes. Initially, the team was taking requests at face value without asking probing questions to understand the underlying problems. However, they soon realized that approaching data as a service, rather than a product, would enable them to create more valuable solutions that could be used multiple times by different stakeholders. They also learned to ask probing questions to understand the underlying causes of the problem, and to keep a repository of problem statements to trace back to past solutions.

Don’t Go to a Vendor for a Solution

This article discusses the importance of approaching third-party vendors from a problem perspective rather than a solution perspective. It explains the process of collecting problems encountered by different teams, analyzing them, and identifying commonalities. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the whole picture before embarking on the solution quest and the need to include the team in any decision with a third-party vendor.

The Critical Role of Conflict Resolution in Teams

As a Product Manager, the author experienced conflicts between engineering teams that resulted in loud arguments. To resolve the issue, the author took a two-step approach: first, they had conversations with each team to understand their point of view, and second, they identified the hidden assumptions of the solutions. Through this process, the author was able to bring the teams to a unified perspective and develop a solution that everyone agreed on. The author learned that as a product manager, they need to be transparent and willing to change their mind in the face of new information, and not be afraid to course-correct their project.

The Key to Horizontal Leadership Roles Across Product Teams

The teams at this company were attempting to expand their ability to solve consumer pain points, but were making inconsistent progress. The product teams were trying to solve the long-term state, but were not delivering customer value across all teams. To address this, the product manager connected the short-term execution-focused teams with the long-term strategy, identified the lowest common denominator, and proposed a MVP across the entire company. They were then able to agree in a more unified way. The lessons learned were to have a strong sense of use cases, get the basics right, develop an opinion and propose ways to fill in the gaps, and focus on solving customer problems.

How to Keep Team Morale High During Difficult Times

This article discusses the challenges faced by a Scrum Team that had no product manager and low morale. The author took action to facilitate the engineering definition of work earlier, modify how they engaged with stakeholders, and transition from Scrum to Kanban. As a result, the team's eNPS score rose from the mid-60s to nearly 100. The article also highlights the importance of making the process work for the team, flexing Scrum and Kanban templates, and communicating correctly to reflect how the team works best.

Coaching Juniors With No CS Degree

Coaching junior developers is a rewarding but taxing task. The main distinction between junior developers is their background, whether they have a CS degree or not. Managers should acknowledge the different skill sets and tailor their coaching strategy accordingly. For CS graduates, the focus should be on improving their technical skills, while for boot camp graduates, the focus should be on fundamentals and helping them feel a sense of belonging in the industry. Companies should be prepared to invest extra effort in boot camp graduates, as they can make great developers with their unique experience.

How to Make an Offshore Team Feel Included

This article discusses the process of establishing an offshore team in Southeast Asia. It explains the importance of having a remote-first culture, the process of choosing the right location, and the steps taken to ensure that the remote team feels included and appreciated. It also highlights the importance of being well prepared before hiring remotely, having the whole company on board with the remote-first idea, and having a welcoming onboarding process.

Drawing the Line Between the Roles of a CTO and an EM

A small company with less than 20 engineers needed to formalize the role of a de facto manager, and the CTO and the EM had to decide where the boundaries of their roles should be drawn. They agreed that the CTO would handle external matters and the EM would be responsible for internal matters, but there were many exceptions. The transition took three to four months and the EM learned a great deal about how to structure the team and organization. They also learned that being a manager can be a lonely job and that different companies have different needs and titles with different responsibilities.

How to Handle Different Goal-Setting Systems

As a manager, it is important to understand each individual's goal-setting system and help them find the right system that aligns with their career path and organizational goals. It is more important to accomplish the goals than to align on the goal-setting system, and as managers, we must be flexible in welcoming different systems. A leader's job is to help others figure out how to do it themselves and succeed beyond what they thought possible.

Nurturing the Well-Being of Isolated Employees Working Remotely

When the pandemic hit, the manager of a gig-based company noticed that some of his employees were struggling to stay engaged. To solve this, he implemented Zoom meetings, increased his frequency of one-on-ones, and held virtual happy hours and trivia nights. He also took it upon himself to proactively reach out to his employees to ensure that they were okay both at work and in their personal lives. This showed that in order to keep employees engaged while working remotely, it is up to the manager to stay engaged with them.

Choosing Candidates Who Share Your Company Culture

The challenge of hiring the right people for the job is difficult, especially when it comes to understanding how they will fit into the company culture. As a manager, it is important to ask questions to determine how they will work with the team and to look for signs of an open attitude and willingness to grow. Clear expectations and regular check-ins are necessary to ensure that the employee is on the right track. Ultimately, every person a manager works with provides a learning experience and helps to build a more diverse managerial experience.

Moving the Needle as a New Manager

When taking on a new leadership role, it is important to take a step back and look at things from a high-level perspective. Ask questions, challenge the status quo, and think outside the box. However, it is important to remember that any changes should be in service of the team and the company's goals. It is also important to remember to work smarter, not harder, and to never make a decision just because it is something that you want personally.

Distressing About ‘Work-Life Balance’ Can Be a Trap

This article discusses the challenges of working in a 9 to 5 environment and how to create a more productive and efficient work-life balance. The author suggests setting boundaries, making time for activities that make them happy, and having the flexibility to work when they want. The article also emphasizes the importance of not striving for a perfect schedule, but rather a realistic one.

Managing Inconsistency in the Workplace

This article discusses the experience of hiring an engineer who was great on paper but caused problems after a month. After identifying the problem and trying to help the engineer improve, the company had to let them go. The article also highlights the importance of understanding that one company's A-player may not be another company's A-player, and that hiring is a difficult process.

Hiring for Talent vs. Hiring a Skillset

This article discusses the importance of looking for potential and talent in candidates rather than just skills when hiring for a position. The author has started to look for a hunger for learning, passion, and career goals in potential hires. They also look for self-awareness of strengths and how they can fit into the team. The author emphasizes the need to understand the need of the team before seeking candidates and to be aware of biases when interviewing.

Adjusting to the Freedom of Working From Home

After fifteen years of working in a traditional office, the narrator transitioned to working remotely in 2019. Initially scared of the change, they found that their relationships with colleagues had become closer. At the same time, their kids had enrolled in a homeschooling program due to illness. The narrator found joy in being able to be present for moments that they would have never been around for otherwise. To balance work and life, the narrator created a sign for their office door, blocked out family time on their calendar, and embraced nonlinear days. They also learned to filter through notifications and create a pulling type of relationship with the information, as opposed to being pushed by it. Lastly, having a dedicated workspace helped them to mentally disconnect when they left the space.

Becoming Aware of and Accounting for Personal Bias

Unconscious bias can be a problem in the hiring process, and it is important to be aware of and challenge it. To remove bias, it is important to identify talent specifically and to consider how candidates align with company values. Additionally, it is important to be aware of the language used in job postings and to seek out guidance from colleagues from different backgrounds.

Overcoming Either/Or of Tech Debt

Most managers struggle with the dilemma of working on features or tech debt, often flip-flopping between the two. To address this, a senior leader should step in and make Product and Engineering agree to allocate 20-30% to either one of them at all times. This will allow for a non-antagonistic relationship between the two and ensure that both tech debt and features are worked on in parallel. Long-term investment in tech debt is essential for software development, and the payback is a steady velocity.

The In-Between of Being an IC and a Manager

A company attempted to create a split role between management and individual contribution, but after two years, realized that it was not working. The role was difficult to succeed in because it was incompatible with the two activities, and many people chose one over the other. The company then decided to make management a dedicated role and to have realistic expectations communicated to team leads.

Coaching Before Radical Candor

This article discusses the author's experience with managing a team of PMs, and how they failed to meet their deadline due to lack of feedback. The author then took action by providing feedback on the spot, publicly explaining the consequences of underperformance, and shifting their mindset to become more proactive. The article also highlights the importance of challenging the status quo, being responsible for the team as a whole, and investing in emotional intelligence.

Moving from Data as a Product to Data as a Service

A data PM works with cross-functional teams in the B2B2C space to provide data products and insights to generate customer outcomes. Initially, the team was taking requests at face value without asking probing questions to understand the underlying problems. However, they soon realized that approaching data as a service, rather than a product, would enable them to create more valuable solutions that could be used multiple times by different stakeholders. They also learned to ask probing questions to understand the underlying causes of the problem, and to keep a repository of problem statements to trace back to past solutions.

Don’t Go to a Vendor for a Solution

This article discusses the importance of approaching third-party vendors from a problem perspective rather than a solution perspective. It explains the process of collecting problems encountered by different teams, analyzing them, and identifying commonalities. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the whole picture before embarking on the solution quest and the need to include the team in any decision with a third-party vendor.

The Critical Role of Conflict Resolution in Teams

As a Product Manager, the author experienced conflicts between engineering teams that resulted in loud arguments. To resolve the issue, the author took a two-step approach: first, they had conversations with each team to understand their point of view, and second, they identified the hidden assumptions of the solutions. Through this process, the author was able to bring the teams to a unified perspective and develop a solution that everyone agreed on. The author learned that as a product manager, they need to be transparent and willing to change their mind in the face of new information, and not be afraid to course-correct their project.

The Key to Horizontal Leadership Roles Across Product Teams

The teams at this company were attempting to expand their ability to solve consumer pain points, but were making inconsistent progress. The product teams were trying to solve the long-term state, but were not delivering customer value across all teams. To address this, the product manager connected the short-term execution-focused teams with the long-term strategy, identified the lowest common denominator, and proposed a MVP across the entire company. They were then able to agree in a more unified way. The lessons learned were to have a strong sense of use cases, get the basics right, develop an opinion and propose ways to fill in the gaps, and focus on solving customer problems.

How to Keep Team Morale High During Difficult Times

This article discusses the challenges faced by a Scrum Team that had no product manager and low morale. The author took action to facilitate the engineering definition of work earlier, modify how they engaged with stakeholders, and transition from Scrum to Kanban. As a result, the team's eNPS score rose from the mid-60s to nearly 100. The article also highlights the importance of making the process work for the team, flexing Scrum and Kanban templates, and communicating correctly to reflect how the team works best.

Coaching Juniors With No CS Degree

Coaching junior developers is a rewarding but taxing task. The main distinction between junior developers is their background, whether they have a CS degree or not. Managers should acknowledge the different skill sets and tailor their coaching strategy accordingly. For CS graduates, the focus should be on improving their technical skills, while for boot camp graduates, the focus should be on fundamentals and helping them feel a sense of belonging in the industry. Companies should be prepared to invest extra effort in boot camp graduates, as they can make great developers with their unique experience.

How to Make an Offshore Team Feel Included

This article discusses the process of establishing an offshore team in Southeast Asia. It explains the importance of having a remote-first culture, the process of choosing the right location, and the steps taken to ensure that the remote team feels included and appreciated. It also highlights the importance of being well prepared before hiring remotely, having the whole company on board with the remote-first idea, and having a welcoming onboarding process.

Drawing the Line Between the Roles of a CTO and an EM

A small company with less than 20 engineers needed to formalize the role of a de facto manager, and the CTO and the EM had to decide where the boundaries of their roles should be drawn. They agreed that the CTO would handle external matters and the EM would be responsible for internal matters, but there were many exceptions. The transition took three to four months and the EM learned a great deal about how to structure the team and organization. They also learned that being a manager can be a lonely job and that different companies have different needs and titles with different responsibilities.

How to Handle Different Goal-Setting Systems

As a manager, it is important to understand each individual's goal-setting system and help them find the right system that aligns with their career path and organizational goals. It is more important to accomplish the goals than to align on the goal-setting system, and as managers, we must be flexible in welcoming different systems. A leader's job is to help others figure out how to do it themselves and succeed beyond what they thought possible.

Nurturing the Well-Being of Isolated Employees Working Remotely

When the pandemic hit, the manager of a gig-based company noticed that some of his employees were struggling to stay engaged. To solve this, he implemented Zoom meetings, increased his frequency of one-on-ones, and held virtual happy hours and trivia nights. He also took it upon himself to proactively reach out to his employees to ensure that they were okay both at work and in their personal lives. This showed that in order to keep employees engaged while working remotely, it is up to the manager to stay engaged with them.

Choosing Candidates Who Share Your Company Culture

The challenge of hiring the right people for the job is difficult, especially when it comes to understanding how they will fit into the company culture. As a manager, it is important to ask questions to determine how they will work with the team and to look for signs of an open attitude and willingness to grow. Clear expectations and regular check-ins are necessary to ensure that the employee is on the right track. Ultimately, every person a manager works with provides a learning experience and helps to build a more diverse managerial experience.

Moving the Needle as a New Manager

When taking on a new leadership role, it is important to take a step back and look at things from a high-level perspective. Ask questions, challenge the status quo, and think outside the box. However, it is important to remember that any changes should be in service of the team and the company's goals. It is also important to remember to work smarter, not harder, and to never make a decision just because it is something that you want personally.

Distressing About ‘Work-Life Balance’ Can Be a Trap

This article discusses the challenges of working in a 9 to 5 environment and how to create a more productive and efficient work-life balance. The author suggests setting boundaries, making time for activities that make them happy, and having the flexibility to work when they want. The article also emphasizes the importance of not striving for a perfect schedule, but rather a realistic one.

Managing Inconsistency in the Workplace

This article discusses the experience of hiring an engineer who was great on paper but caused problems after a month. After identifying the problem and trying to help the engineer improve, the company had to let them go. The article also highlights the importance of understanding that one company's A-player may not be another company's A-player, and that hiring is a difficult process.

Hiring for Talent vs. Hiring a Skillset

This article discusses the importance of looking for potential and talent in candidates rather than just skills when hiring for a position. The author has started to look for a hunger for learning, passion, and career goals in potential hires. They also look for self-awareness of strengths and how they can fit into the team. The author emphasizes the need to understand the need of the team before seeking candidates and to be aware of biases when interviewing.

Adjusting to the Freedom of Working From Home

After fifteen years of working in a traditional office, the narrator transitioned to working remotely in 2019. Initially scared of the change, they found that their relationships with colleagues had become closer. At the same time, their kids had enrolled in a homeschooling program due to illness. The narrator found joy in being able to be present for moments that they would have never been around for otherwise. To balance work and life, the narrator created a sign for their office door, blocked out family time on their calendar, and embraced nonlinear days. They also learned to filter through notifications and create a pulling type of relationship with the information, as opposed to being pushed by it. Lastly, having a dedicated workspace helped them to mentally disconnect when they left the space.

Becoming Aware of and Accounting for Personal Bias

Unconscious bias can be a problem in the hiring process, and it is important to be aware of and challenge it. To remove bias, it is important to identify talent specifically and to consider how candidates align with company values. Additionally, it is important to be aware of the language used in job postings and to seek out guidance from colleagues from different backgrounds.

Overcoming Either/Or of Tech Debt

Most managers struggle with the dilemma of working on features or tech debt, often flip-flopping between the two. To address this, a senior leader should step in and make Product and Engineering agree to allocate 20-30% to either one of them at all times. This will allow for a non-antagonistic relationship between the two and ensure that both tech debt and features are worked on in parallel. Long-term investment in tech debt is essential for software development, and the payback is a steady velocity.

The In-Between of Being an IC and a Manager

A company attempted to create a split role between management and individual contribution, but after two years, realized that it was not working. The role was difficult to succeed in because it was incompatible with the two activities, and many people chose one over the other. The company then decided to make management a dedicated role and to have realistic expectations communicated to team leads.

Coaching Before Radical Candor

This article discusses the author's experience with managing a team of PMs, and how they failed to meet their deadline due to lack of feedback. The author then took action by providing feedback on the spot, publicly explaining the consequences of underperformance, and shifting their mindset to become more proactive. The article also highlights the importance of challenging the status quo, being responsible for the team as a whole, and investing in emotional intelligence.

Moving from Data as a Product to Data as a Service

A data PM works with cross-functional teams in the B2B2C space to provide data products and insights to generate customer outcomes. Initially, the team was taking requests at face value without asking probing questions to understand the underlying problems. However, they soon realized that approaching data as a service, rather than a product, would enable them to create more valuable solutions that could be used multiple times by different stakeholders. They also learned to ask probing questions to understand the underlying causes of the problem, and to keep a repository of problem statements to trace back to past solutions.

Don’t Go to a Vendor for a Solution

This article discusses the importance of approaching third-party vendors from a problem perspective rather than a solution perspective. It explains the process of collecting problems encountered by different teams, analyzing them, and identifying commonalities. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the whole picture before embarking on the solution quest and the need to include the team in any decision with a third-party vendor.

The Critical Role of Conflict Resolution in Teams

As a Product Manager, the author experienced conflicts between engineering teams that resulted in loud arguments. To resolve the issue, the author took a two-step approach: first, they had conversations with each team to understand their point of view, and second, they identified the hidden assumptions of the solutions. Through this process, the author was able to bring the teams to a unified perspective and develop a solution that everyone agreed on. The author learned that as a product manager, they need to be transparent and willing to change their mind in the face of new information, and not be afraid to course-correct their project.

The Key to Horizontal Leadership Roles Across Product Teams

The teams at this company were attempting to expand their ability to solve consumer pain points, but were making inconsistent progress. The product teams were trying to solve the long-term state, but were not delivering customer value across all teams. To address this, the product manager connected the short-term execution-focused teams with the long-term strategy, identified the lowest common denominator, and proposed a MVP across the entire company. They were then able to agree in a more unified way. The lessons learned were to have a strong sense of use cases, get the basics right, develop an opinion and propose ways to fill in the gaps, and focus on solving customer problems.

How to Keep Team Morale High During Difficult Times

This article discusses the challenges faced by a Scrum Team that had no product manager and low morale. The author took action to facilitate the engineering definition of work earlier, modify how they engaged with stakeholders, and transition from Scrum to Kanban. As a result, the team's eNPS score rose from the mid-60s to nearly 100. The article also highlights the importance of making the process work for the team, flexing Scrum and Kanban templates, and communicating correctly to reflect how the team works best.

Coaching Juniors With No CS Degree

Coaching junior developers is a rewarding but taxing task. The main distinction between junior developers is their background, whether they have a CS degree or not. Managers should acknowledge the different skill sets and tailor their coaching strategy accordingly. For CS graduates, the focus should be on improving their technical skills, while for boot camp graduates, the focus should be on fundamentals and helping them feel a sense of belonging in the industry. Companies should be prepared to invest extra effort in boot camp graduates, as they can make great developers with their unique experience.

How to Make an Offshore Team Feel Included

This article discusses the process of establishing an offshore team in Southeast Asia. It explains the importance of having a remote-first culture, the process of choosing the right location, and the steps taken to ensure that the remote team feels included and appreciated. It also highlights the importance of being well prepared before hiring remotely, having the whole company on board with the remote-first idea, and having a welcoming onboarding process.

Drawing the Line Between the Roles of a CTO and an EM

A small company with less than 20 engineers needed to formalize the role of a de facto manager, and the CTO and the EM had to decide where the boundaries of their roles should be drawn. They agreed that the CTO would handle external matters and the EM would be responsible for internal matters, but there were many exceptions. The transition took three to four months and the EM learned a great deal about how to structure the team and organization. They also learned that being a manager can be a lonely job and that different companies have different needs and titles with different responsibilities.

How to Handle Different Goal-Setting Systems

As a manager, it is important to understand each individual's goal-setting system and help them find the right system that aligns with their career path and organizational goals. It is more important to accomplish the goals than to align on the goal-setting system, and as managers, we must be flexible in welcoming different systems. A leader's job is to help others figure out how to do it themselves and succeed beyond what they thought possible.

Nurturing the Well-Being of Isolated Employees Working Remotely

When the pandemic hit, the manager of a gig-based company noticed that some of his employees were struggling to stay engaged. To solve this, he implemented Zoom meetings, increased his frequency of one-on-ones, and held virtual happy hours and trivia nights. He also took it upon himself to proactively reach out to his employees to ensure that they were okay both at work and in their personal lives. This showed that in order to keep employees engaged while working remotely, it is up to the manager to stay engaged with them.

Choosing Candidates Who Share Your Company Culture

The challenge of hiring the right people for the job is difficult, especially when it comes to understanding how they will fit into the company culture. As a manager, it is important to ask questions to determine how they will work with the team and to look for signs of an open attitude and willingness to grow. Clear expectations and regular check-ins are necessary to ensure that the employee is on the right track. Ultimately, every person a manager works with provides a learning experience and helps to build a more diverse managerial experience.

Moving the Needle as a New Manager

When taking on a new leadership role, it is important to take a step back and look at things from a high-level perspective. Ask questions, challenge the status quo, and think outside the box. However, it is important to remember that any changes should be in service of the team and the company's goals. It is also important to remember to work smarter, not harder, and to never make a decision just because it is something that you want personally.

Distressing About ‘Work-Life Balance’ Can Be a Trap

This article discusses the challenges of working in a 9 to 5 environment and how to create a more productive and efficient work-life balance. The author suggests setting boundaries, making time for activities that make them happy, and having the flexibility to work when they want. The article also emphasizes the importance of not striving for a perfect schedule, but rather a realistic one.

Managing Inconsistency in the Workplace

This article discusses the experience of hiring an engineer who was great on paper but caused problems after a month. After identifying the problem and trying to help the engineer improve, the company had to let them go. The article also highlights the importance of understanding that one company's A-player may not be another company's A-player, and that hiring is a difficult process.

Hiring for Talent vs. Hiring a Skillset

This article discusses the importance of looking for potential and talent in candidates rather than just skills when hiring for a position. The author has started to look for a hunger for learning, passion, and career goals in potential hires. They also look for self-awareness of strengths and how they can fit into the team. The author emphasizes the need to understand the need of the team before seeking candidates and to be aware of biases when interviewing.

Adjusting to the Freedom of Working From Home

After fifteen years of working in a traditional office, the narrator transitioned to working remotely in 2019. Initially scared of the change, they found that their relationships with colleagues had become closer. At the same time, their kids had enrolled in a homeschooling program due to illness. The narrator found joy in being able to be present for moments that they would have never been around for otherwise. To balance work and life, the narrator created a sign for their office door, blocked out family time on their calendar, and embraced nonlinear days. They also learned to filter through notifications and create a pulling type of relationship with the information, as opposed to being pushed by it. Lastly, having a dedicated workspace helped them to mentally disconnect when they left the space.

Becoming Aware of and Accounting for Personal Bias

Unconscious bias can be a problem in the hiring process, and it is important to be aware of and challenge it. To remove bias, it is important to identify talent specifically and to consider how candidates align with company values. Additionally, it is important to be aware of the language used in job postings and to seek out guidance from colleagues from different backgrounds.

Overcoming Either/Or of Tech Debt

Most managers struggle with the dilemma of working on features or tech debt, often flip-flopping between the two. To address this, a senior leader should step in and make Product and Engineering agree to allocate 20-30% to either one of them at all times. This will allow for a non-antagonistic relationship between the two and ensure that both tech debt and features are worked on in parallel. Long-term investment in tech debt is essential for software development, and the payback is a steady velocity.

The In-Between of Being an IC and a Manager

A company attempted to create a split role between management and individual contribution, but after two years, realized that it was not working. The role was difficult to succeed in because it was incompatible with the two activities, and many people chose one over the other. The company then decided to make management a dedicated role and to have realistic expectations communicated to team leads.

Coaching Before Radical Candor

This article discusses the author's experience with managing a team of PMs, and how they failed to meet their deadline due to lack of feedback. The author then took action by providing feedback on the spot, publicly explaining the consequences of underperformance, and shifting their mindset to become more proactive. The article also highlights the importance of challenging the status quo, being responsible for the team as a whole, and investing in emotional intelligence.

Moving from Data as a Product to Data as a Service

A data PM works with cross-functional teams in the B2B2C space to provide data products and insights to generate customer outcomes. Initially, the team was taking requests at face value without asking probing questions to understand the underlying problems. However, they soon realized that approaching data as a service, rather than a product, would enable them to create more valuable solutions that could be used multiple times by different stakeholders. They also learned to ask probing questions to understand the underlying causes of the problem, and to keep a repository of problem statements to trace back to past solutions.

Don’t Go to a Vendor for a Solution

This article discusses the importance of approaching third-party vendors from a problem perspective rather than a solution perspective. It explains the process of collecting problems encountered by different teams, analyzing them, and identifying commonalities. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the whole picture before embarking on the solution quest and the need to include the team in any decision with a third-party vendor.

The Critical Role of Conflict Resolution in Teams

As a Product Manager, the author experienced conflicts between engineering teams that resulted in loud arguments. To resolve the issue, the author took a two-step approach: first, they had conversations with each team to understand their point of view, and second, they identified the hidden assumptions of the solutions. Through this process, the author was able to bring the teams to a unified perspective and develop a solution that everyone agreed on. The author learned that as a product manager, they need to be transparent and willing to change their mind in the face of new information, and not be afraid to course-correct their project.

The Key to Horizontal Leadership Roles Across Product Teams

The teams at this company were attempting to expand their ability to solve consumer pain points, but were making inconsistent progress. The product teams were trying to solve the long-term state, but were not delivering customer value across all teams. To address this, the product manager connected the short-term execution-focused teams with the long-term strategy, identified the lowest common denominator, and proposed a MVP across the entire company. They were then able to agree in a more unified way. The lessons learned were to have a strong sense of use cases, get the basics right, develop an opinion and propose ways to fill in the gaps, and focus on solving customer problems.

How to Keep Team Morale High During Difficult Times

This article discusses the challenges faced by a Scrum Team that had no product manager and low morale. The author took action to facilitate the engineering definition of work earlier, modify how they engaged with stakeholders, and transition from Scrum to Kanban. As a result, the team's eNPS score rose from the mid-60s to nearly 100. The article also highlights the importance of making the process work for the team, flexing Scrum and Kanban templates, and communicating correctly to reflect how the team works best.

Coaching Juniors With No CS Degree

Coaching junior developers is a rewarding but taxing task. The main distinction between junior developers is their background, whether they have a CS degree or not. Managers should acknowledge the different skill sets and tailor their coaching strategy accordingly. For CS graduates, the focus should be on improving their technical skills, while for boot camp graduates, the focus should be on fundamentals and helping them feel a sense of belonging in the industry. Companies should be prepared to invest extra effort in boot camp graduates, as they can make great developers with their unique experience.

How to Make an Offshore Team Feel Included

This article discusses the process of establishing an offshore team in Southeast Asia. It explains the importance of having a remote-first culture, the process of choosing the right location, and the steps taken to ensure that the remote team feels included and appreciated. It also highlights the importance of being well prepared before hiring remotely, having the whole company on board with the remote-first idea, and having a welcoming onboarding process.

Drawing the Line Between the Roles of a CTO and an EM

A small company with less than 20 engineers needed to formalize the role of a de facto manager, and the CTO and the EM had to decide where the boundaries of their roles should be drawn. They agreed that the CTO would handle external matters and the EM would be responsible for internal matters, but there were many exceptions. The transition took three to four months and the EM learned a great deal about how to structure the team and organization. They also learned that being a manager can be a lonely job and that different companies have different needs and titles with different responsibilities.

How to Handle Different Goal-Setting Systems

As a manager, it is important to understand each individual's goal-setting system and help them find the right system that aligns with their career path and organizational goals. It is more important to accomplish the goals than to align on the goal-setting system, and as managers, we must be flexible in welcoming different systems. A leader's job is to help others figure out how to do it themselves and succeed beyond what they thought possible.

Nurturing the Well-Being of Isolated Employees Working Remotely

When the pandemic hit, the manager of a gig-based company noticed that some of his employees were struggling to stay engaged. To solve this, he implemented Zoom meetings, increased his frequency of one-on-ones, and held virtual happy hours and trivia nights. He also took it upon himself to proactively reach out to his employees to ensure that they were okay both at work and in their personal lives. This showed that in order to keep employees engaged while working remotely, it is up to the manager to stay engaged with them.

Choosing Candidates Who Share Your Company Culture

The challenge of hiring the right people for the job is difficult, especially when it comes to understanding how they will fit into the company culture. As a manager, it is important to ask questions to determine how they will work with the team and to look for signs of an open attitude and willingness to grow. Clear expectations and regular check-ins are necessary to ensure that the employee is on the right track. Ultimately, every person a manager works with provides a learning experience and helps to build a more diverse managerial experience.

Moving the Needle as a New Manager

When taking on a new leadership role, it is important to take a step back and look at things from a high-level perspective. Ask questions, challenge the status quo, and think outside the box. However, it is important to remember that any changes should be in service of the team and the company's goals. It is also important to remember to work smarter, not harder, and to never make a decision just because it is something that you want personally.

Distressing About ‘Work-Life Balance’ Can Be a Trap

This article discusses the challenges of working in a 9 to 5 environment and how to create a more productive and efficient work-life balance. The author suggests setting boundaries, making time for activities that make them happy, and having the flexibility to work when they want. The article also emphasizes the importance of not striving for a perfect schedule, but rather a realistic one.

Managing Inconsistency in the Workplace

This article discusses the experience of hiring an engineer who was great on paper but caused problems after a month. After identifying the problem and trying to help the engineer improve, the company had to let them go. The article also highlights the importance of understanding that one company's A-player may not be another company's A-player, and that hiring is a difficult process.

Hiring for Talent vs. Hiring a Skillset

This article discusses the importance of looking for potential and talent in candidates rather than just skills when hiring for a position. The author has started to look for a hunger for learning, passion, and career goals in potential hires. They also look for self-awareness of strengths and how they can fit into the team. The author emphasizes the need to understand the need of the team before seeking candidates and to be aware of biases when interviewing.

Adjusting to the Freedom of Working From Home

After fifteen years of working in a traditional office, the narrator transitioned to working remotely in 2019. Initially scared of the change, they found that their relationships with colleagues had become closer. At the same time, their kids had enrolled in a homeschooling program due to illness. The narrator found joy in being able to be present for moments that they would have never been around for otherwise. To balance work and life, the narrator created a sign for their office door, blocked out family time on their calendar, and embraced nonlinear days. They also learned to filter through notifications and create a pulling type of relationship with the information, as opposed to being pushed by it. Lastly, having a dedicated workspace helped them to mentally disconnect when they left the space.

Becoming Aware of and Accounting for Personal Bias

Unconscious bias can be a problem in the hiring process, and it is important to be aware of and challenge it. To remove bias, it is important to identify talent specifically and to consider how candidates align with company values. Additionally, it is important to be aware of the language used in job postings and to seek out guidance from colleagues from different backgrounds.

Overcoming Either/Or of Tech Debt

Most managers struggle with the dilemma of working on features or tech debt, often flip-flopping between the two. To address this, a senior leader should step in and make Product and Engineering agree to allocate 20-30% to either one of them at all times. This will allow for a non-antagonistic relationship between the two and ensure that both tech debt and features are worked on in parallel. Long-term investment in tech debt is essential for software development, and the payback is a steady velocity.

The In-Between of Being an IC and a Manager

A company attempted to create a split role between management and individual contribution, but after two years, realized that it was not working. The role was difficult to succeed in because it was incompatible with the two activities, and many people chose one over the other. The company then decided to make management a dedicated role and to have realistic expectations communicated to team leads.

Coaching Before Radical Candor

This article discusses the author's experience with managing a team of PMs, and how they failed to meet their deadline due to lack of feedback. The author then took action by providing feedback on the spot, publicly explaining the consequences of underperformance, and shifting their mindset to become more proactive. The article also highlights the importance of challenging the status quo, being responsible for the team as a whole, and investing in emotional intelligence.

Moving from Data as a Product to Data as a Service

A data PM works with cross-functional teams in the B2B2C space to provide data products and insights to generate customer outcomes. Initially, the team was taking requests at face value without asking probing questions to understand the underlying problems. However, they soon realized that approaching data as a service, rather than a product, would enable them to create more valuable solutions that could be used multiple times by different stakeholders. They also learned to ask probing questions to understand the underlying causes of the problem, and to keep a repository of problem statements to trace back to past solutions.

Don’t Go to a Vendor for a Solution

This article discusses the importance of approaching third-party vendors from a problem perspective rather than a solution perspective. It explains the process of collecting problems encountered by different teams, analyzing them, and identifying commonalities. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the whole picture before embarking on the solution quest and the need to include the team in any decision with a third-party vendor.

The Critical Role of Conflict Resolution in Teams

As a Product Manager, the author experienced conflicts between engineering teams that resulted in loud arguments. To resolve the issue, the author took a two-step approach: first, they had conversations with each team to understand their point of view, and second, they identified the hidden assumptions of the solutions. Through this process, the author was able to bring the teams to a unified perspective and develop a solution that everyone agreed on. The author learned that as a product manager, they need to be transparent and willing to change their mind in the face of new information, and not be afraid to course-correct their project.

The Key to Horizontal Leadership Roles Across Product Teams

The teams at this company were attempting to expand their ability to solve consumer pain points, but were making inconsistent progress. The product teams were trying to solve the long-term state, but were not delivering customer value across all teams. To address this, the product manager connected the short-term execution-focused teams with the long-term strategy, identified the lowest common denominator, and proposed a MVP across the entire company. They were then able to agree in a more unified way. The lessons learned were to have a strong sense of use cases, get the basics right, develop an opinion and propose ways to fill in the gaps, and focus on solving customer problems.

How to Keep Team Morale High During Difficult Times

This article discusses the challenges faced by a Scrum Team that had no product manager and low morale. The author took action to facilitate the engineering definition of work earlier, modify how they engaged with stakeholders, and transition from Scrum to Kanban. As a result, the team's eNPS score rose from the mid-60s to nearly 100. The article also highlights the importance of making the process work for the team, flexing Scrum and Kanban templates, and communicating correctly to reflect how the team works best.

Coaching Juniors With No CS Degree

Coaching junior developers is a rewarding but taxing task. The main distinction between junior developers is their background, whether they have a CS degree or not. Managers should acknowledge the different skill sets and tailor their coaching strategy accordingly. For CS graduates, the focus should be on improving their technical skills, while for boot camp graduates, the focus should be on fundamentals and helping them feel a sense of belonging in the industry. Companies should be prepared to invest extra effort in boot camp graduates, as they can make great developers with their unique experience.

How to Make an Offshore Team Feel Included

This article discusses the process of establishing an offshore team in Southeast Asia. It explains the importance of having a remote-first culture, the process of choosing the right location, and the steps taken to ensure that the remote team feels included and appreciated. It also highlights the importance of being well prepared before hiring remotely, having the whole company on board with the remote-first idea, and having a welcoming onboarding process.

Drawing the Line Between the Roles of a CTO and an EM

A small company with less than 20 engineers needed to formalize the role of a de facto manager, and the CTO and the EM had to decide where the boundaries of their roles should be drawn. They agreed that the CTO would handle external matters and the EM would be responsible for internal matters, but there were many exceptions. The transition took three to four months and the EM learned a great deal about how to structure the team and organization. They also learned that being a manager can be a lonely job and that different companies have different needs and titles with different responsibilities.

How to Handle Different Goal-Setting Systems

As a manager, it is important to understand each individual's goal-setting system and help them find the right system that aligns with their career path and organizational goals. It is more important to accomplish the goals than to align on the goal-setting system, and as managers, we must be flexible in welcoming different systems. A leader's job is to help others figure out how to do it themselves and succeed beyond what they thought possible.

Nurturing the Well-Being of Isolated Employees Working Remotely

When the pandemic hit, the manager of a gig-based company noticed that some of his employees were struggling to stay engaged. To solve this, he implemented Zoom meetings, increased his frequency of one-on-ones, and held virtual happy hours and trivia nights. He also took it upon himself to proactively reach out to his employees to ensure that they were okay both at work and in their personal lives. This showed that in order to keep employees engaged while working remotely, it is up to the manager to stay engaged with them.

Choosing Candidates Who Share Your Company Culture

The challenge of hiring the right people for the job is difficult, especially when it comes to understanding how they will fit into the company culture. As a manager, it is important to ask questions to determine how they will work with the team and to look for signs of an open attitude and willingness to grow. Clear expectations and regular check-ins are necessary to ensure that the employee is on the right track. Ultimately, every person a manager works with provides a learning experience and helps to build a more diverse managerial experience.

Moving the Needle as a New Manager

When taking on a new leadership role, it is important to take a step back and look at things from a high-level perspective. Ask questions, challenge the status quo, and think outside the box. However, it is important to remember that any changes should be in service of the team and the company's goals. It is also important to remember to work smarter, not harder, and to never make a decision just because it is something that you want personally.

Distressing About ‘Work-Life Balance’ Can Be a Trap

This article discusses the challenges of working in a 9 to 5 environment and how to create a more productive and efficient work-life balance. The author suggests setting boundaries, making time for activities that make them happy, and having the flexibility to work when they want. The article also emphasizes the importance of not striving for a perfect schedule, but rather a realistic one.

Managing Inconsistency in the Workplace

This article discusses the experience of hiring an engineer who was great on paper but caused problems after a month. After identifying the problem and trying to help the engineer improve, the company had to let them go. The article also highlights the importance of understanding that one company's A-player may not be another company's A-player, and that hiring is a difficult process.

Hiring for Talent vs. Hiring a Skillset

This article discusses the importance of looking for potential and talent in candidates rather than just skills when hiring for a position. The author has started to look for a hunger for learning, passion, and career goals in potential hires. They also look for self-awareness of strengths and how they can fit into the team. The author emphasizes the need to understand the need of the team before seeking candidates and to be aware of biases when interviewing.

Adjusting to the Freedom of Working From Home

After fifteen years of working in a traditional office, the narrator transitioned to working remotely in 2019. Initially scared of the change, they found that their relationships with colleagues had become closer. At the same time, their kids had enrolled in a homeschooling program due to illness. The narrator found joy in being able to be present for moments that they would have never been around for otherwise. To balance work and life, the narrator created a sign for their office door, blocked out family time on their calendar, and embraced nonlinear days. They also learned to filter through notifications and create a pulling type of relationship with the information, as opposed to being pushed by it. Lastly, having a dedicated workspace helped them to mentally disconnect when they left the space.

Becoming Aware of and Accounting for Personal Bias

Unconscious bias can be a problem in the hiring process, and it is important to be aware of and challenge it. To remove bias, it is important to identify talent specifically and to consider how candidates align with company values. Additionally, it is important to be aware of the language used in job postings and to seek out guidance from colleagues from different backgrounds.

Overcoming Either/Or of Tech Debt

Most managers struggle with the dilemma of working on features or tech debt, often flip-flopping between the two. To address this, a senior leader should step in and make Product and Engineering agree to allocate 20-30% to either one of them at all times. This will allow for a non-antagonistic relationship between the two and ensure that both tech debt and features are worked on in parallel. Long-term investment in tech debt is essential for software development, and the payback is a steady velocity.

The In-Between of Being an IC and a Manager

A company attempted to create a split role between management and individual contribution, but after two years, realized that it was not working. The role was difficult to succeed in because it was incompatible with the two activities, and many people chose one over the other. The company then decided to make management a dedicated role and to have realistic expectations communicated to team leads.

Coaching Before Radical Candor

This article discusses the author's experience with managing a team of PMs, and how they failed to meet their deadline due to lack of feedback. The author then took action by providing feedback on the spot, publicly explaining the consequences of underperformance, and shifting their mindset to become more proactive. The article also highlights the importance of challenging the status quo, being responsible for the team as a whole, and investing in emotional intelligence.

Moving from Data as a Product to Data as a Service

A data PM works with cross-functional teams in the B2B2C space to provide data products and insights to generate customer outcomes. Initially, the team was taking requests at face value without asking probing questions to understand the underlying problems. However, they soon realized that approaching data as a service, rather than a product, would enable them to create more valuable solutions that could be used multiple times by different stakeholders. They also learned to ask probing questions to understand the underlying causes of the problem, and to keep a repository of problem statements to trace back to past solutions.

Don’t Go to a Vendor for a Solution

This article discusses the importance of approaching third-party vendors from a problem perspective rather than a solution perspective. It explains the process of collecting problems encountered by different teams, analyzing them, and identifying commonalities. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the whole picture before embarking on the solution quest and the need to include the team in any decision with a third-party vendor.

The Critical Role of Conflict Resolution in Teams

As a Product Manager, the author experienced conflicts between engineering teams that resulted in loud arguments. To resolve the issue, the author took a two-step approach: first, they had conversations with each team to understand their point of view, and second, they identified the hidden assumptions of the solutions. Through this process, the author was able to bring the teams to a unified perspective and develop a solution that everyone agreed on. The author learned that as a product manager, they need to be transparent and willing to change their mind in the face of new information, and not be afraid to course-correct their project.

The Key to Horizontal Leadership Roles Across Product Teams

The teams at this company were attempting to expand their ability to solve consumer pain points, but were making inconsistent progress. The product teams were trying to solve the long-term state, but were not delivering customer value across all teams. To address this, the product manager connected the short-term execution-focused teams with the long-term strategy, identified the lowest common denominator, and proposed a MVP across the entire company. They were then able to agree in a more unified way. The lessons learned were to have a strong sense of use cases, get the basics right, develop an opinion and propose ways to fill in the gaps, and focus on solving customer problems.

How to Keep Team Morale High During Difficult Times

This article discusses the challenges faced by a Scrum Team that had no product manager and low morale. The author took action to facilitate the engineering definition of work earlier, modify how they engaged with stakeholders, and transition from Scrum to Kanban. As a result, the team's eNPS score rose from the mid-60s to nearly 100. The article also highlights the importance of making the process work for the team, flexing Scrum and Kanban templates, and communicating correctly to reflect how the team works best.

Coaching Juniors With No CS Degree

Coaching junior developers is a rewarding but taxing task. The main distinction between junior developers is their background, whether they have a CS degree or not. Managers should acknowledge the different skill sets and tailor their coaching strategy accordingly. For CS graduates, the focus should be on improving their technical skills, while for boot camp graduates, the focus should be on fundamentals and helping them feel a sense of belonging in the industry. Companies should be prepared to invest extra effort in boot camp graduates, as they can make great developers with their unique experience.

How to Make an Offshore Team Feel Included

This article discusses the process of establishing an offshore team in Southeast Asia. It explains the importance of having a remote-first culture, the process of choosing the right location, and the steps taken to ensure that the remote team feels included and appreciated. It also highlights the importance of being well prepared before hiring remotely, having the whole company on board with the remote-first idea, and having a welcoming onboarding process.

Drawing the Line Between the Roles of a CTO and an EM

A small company with less than 20 engineers needed to formalize the role of a de facto manager, and the CTO and the EM had to decide where the boundaries of their roles should be drawn. They agreed that the CTO would handle external matters and the EM would be responsible for internal matters, but there were many exceptions. The transition took three to four months and the EM learned a great deal about how to structure the team and organization. They also learned that being a manager can be a lonely job and that different companies have different needs and titles with different responsibilities.

How to Handle Different Goal-Setting Systems

As a manager, it is important to understand each individual's goal-setting system and help them find the right system that aligns with their career path and organizational goals. It is more important to accomplish the goals than to align on the goal-setting system, and as managers, we must be flexible in welcoming different systems. A leader's job is to help others figure out how to do it themselves and succeed beyond what they thought possible.

Nurturing the Well-Being of Isolated Employees Working Remotely

When the pandemic hit, the manager of a gig-based company noticed that some of his employees were struggling to stay engaged. To solve this, he implemented Zoom meetings, increased his frequency of one-on-ones, and held virtual happy hours and trivia nights. He also took it upon himself to proactively reach out to his employees to ensure that they were okay both at work and in their personal lives. This showed that in order to keep employees engaged while working remotely, it is up to the manager to stay engaged with them.

Choosing Candidates Who Share Your Company Culture

The challenge of hiring the right people for the job is difficult, especially when it comes to understanding how they will fit into the company culture. As a manager, it is important to ask questions to determine how they will work with the team and to look for signs of an open attitude and willingness to grow. Clear expectations and regular check-ins are necessary to ensure that the employee is on the right track. Ultimately, every person a manager works with provides a learning experience and helps to build a more diverse managerial experience.

Moving the Needle as a New Manager

When taking on a new leadership role, it is important to take a step back and look at things from a high-level perspective. Ask questions, challenge the status quo, and think outside the box. However, it is important to remember that any changes should be in service of the team and the company's goals. It is also important to remember to work smarter, not harder, and to never make a decision just because it is something that you want personally.

Distressing About ‘Work-Life Balance’ Can Be a Trap

This article discusses the challenges of working in a 9 to 5 environment and how to create a more productive and efficient work-life balance. The author suggests setting boundaries, making time for activities that make them happy, and having the flexibility to work when they want. The article also emphasizes the importance of not striving for a perfect schedule, but rather a realistic one.

Managing Inconsistency in the Workplace

This article discusses the experience of hiring an engineer who was great on paper but caused problems after a month. After identifying the problem and trying to help the engineer improve, the company had to let them go. The article also highlights the importance of understanding that one company's A-player may not be another company's A-player, and that hiring is a difficult process.

Hiring for Talent vs. Hiring a Skillset

This article discusses the importance of looking for potential and talent in candidates rather than just skills when hiring for a position. The author has started to look for a hunger for learning, passion, and career goals in potential hires. They also look for self-awareness of strengths and how they can fit into the team. The author emphasizes the need to understand the need of the team before seeking candidates and to be aware of biases when interviewing.

Adjusting to the Freedom of Working From Home

After fifteen years of working in a traditional office, the narrator transitioned to working remotely in 2019. Initially scared of the change, they found that their relationships with colleagues had become closer. At the same time, their kids had enrolled in a homeschooling program due to illness. The narrator found joy in being able to be present for moments that they would have never been around for otherwise. To balance work and life, the narrator created a sign for their office door, blocked out family time on their calendar, and embraced nonlinear days. They also learned to filter through notifications and create a pulling type of relationship with the information, as opposed to being pushed by it. Lastly, having a dedicated workspace helped them to mentally disconnect when they left the space.

Becoming Aware of and Accounting for Personal Bias

Unconscious bias can be a problem in the hiring process, and it is important to be aware of and challenge it. To remove bias, it is important to identify talent specifically and to consider how candidates align with company values. Additionally, it is important to be aware of the language used in job postings and to seek out guidance from colleagues from different backgrounds.