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Maintaining Direct, Clear Engineering Feedback While Becoming Less Hands On

As managers become less hands-on in the day-to-day routines of those they manage, their ability to provide direct, clear engineering feedback becomes harder. To stay involved, managers can either carve out time to stay hands-on with one project, or create a support structure for those individuals to have direct engineering feedback from a mentor or technical lead. Staying involved is important to stay current and provide feedback to those individuals, and can be done by starting a new initiative and pulling in more senior folks to help transition it.

The Discipline of Carving Out Time for Career Investments

This article discusses the importance of investing in one's future through discipline and dedication. It emphasizes the need to carve out time for learning new skills, reading, and contributing to side projects. It also suggests that one should force themselves through the motions and be mindful of where they are making trade-offs.

Happiness in Your Work Life

The Happiness Triangle is a framework for achieving a successful and happy life, which can be applied to work life. It consists of three components: pleasure, meaning, and good mood. Pleasure is about enjoying what you do, meaning is about finding purpose in your work, and good mood is about achieving a state of flow. To maximize the three components, it is important to reflect on each area and acknowledge where you are lacking.

Failed Attempt at Job Simulation

This article discusses the experience of a company that used job simulation and homework as interview strategies, which proved to be unsuccessful. Poor planning and validation on-site led to the phasing out of these strategies. The article also provides lessons learned, such as the importance of balancing hypothetical testing with actual work, and the need to ask questions that relate to the candidate's work.

Leveraging Team Adversity

When forming a team, it is important to leverage internal conflict in order to develop a productive and tightly knit group. To do this, give the team tasks to complete and set high standards for the work they should be doing. This will create a sense of trust, connection, and confidence amongst the team, even if they don't reach the goal. Leadership is a balance between opposing ideas and caring for the team and mission.

Three Prioritization Frameworks To Make The Most Impact On The Business

This article discusses effective tools to ensure that every engineer within an organization is prioritizing what will be the most impactful for the business. These tools include OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), SLOs (Service-Level Objectives), and a Bug Zero Policy. Additionally, the article provides lessons learned from a company that had a team dedicated to resolving technical issues, which ultimately led to poor response times and disempowered teams from owning their products.

Conducting Course Correcting 1:1s

This article discusses the importance of one-on-ones in providing feedback and course-correcting performance. It suggests that if managers are providing consistent feedback, performance reviews become a formality and there is no need for them. The article also highlights the need for managers to stay ahead of their reports in terms of good and bad performance, and to use one-on-ones to build trust and discuss growth and opportunity.

Testing Product Ideas Using the Wizard of Oz Technique

A company was trying to make it easier for small businesses to purchase Workers' Comp insurance. To address the issue of businesses growing and needing to adjust their payments, they tested a Wizard of Oz technique where customers were emailed their current payroll and asked if it had changed. The test was successful, with 70% of customers responding and several expressing appreciation for the feature. The test also validated the assumptions that customers would understand why their prices were increasing or decreasing.

Little ‘P’ Product Owner

To encourage engineers to take ownership of their products, the author suggests having them think of themselves as the "little 'P' product owner" and to think of the product as if it were their own. This encourages them to think about user experience, latency, and other higher-level questions, and helps them to feel more secure about bringing up ideas and working harder.

The Three Dimensions of Engineering Management

Engineering management is a complex role that involves three key focus areas: people management, project management, and technical oversight. People management involves giving feedback, helping low and high performers, and building a healthy team. Project management involves building the right sort of things, meeting deadlines, and collaborating with other teams. Technical oversight involves building a product for the long-term, understanding complexities, and helping the team make the best technical decisions. Ultimately, engineering management is about making sure the team is healthy and effective.

Structuring Teams

This article discusses how to manage a team of engineers when product management and design are not available. It suggests focusing on metrics and goals, staying plugged in as a leader, and creating an organizational structure that is flexible and can be validated regularly. It also suggests having dedicated teams, prioritizing tasks, and having hard conversations when needed.

Making Your Remote Team Feel Part of the Company

When a new office was opened in Dublin, Ireland to expand the payments team at Patreon, the remote team felt disconnected from the company due to only being given projects B and C. To motivate the team, the importance of their work was shared with them and the rest of the company was made aware of the importance of the remote team's work. It is necessary to find a way to give the remote team more relevant projects so they can identify with a real project and stay motivated in the long term.

Proposing Solutions, Not Problems

When working with multiple teams across various countries, it can be difficult for upper management to understand the pain points. As a manager, it is important to bridge the gap by providing useful information and solutions to make the best decisions. Create a concise document with the situation, why it is a problem, and the best solutions. Send the proposal to your boss ahead of time and keep it short and to the point.

Gaining Technical and Product Knowledge

This article discusses the steps taken by a web developer who was hired to lead a mobile team, despite not having a lot of technical knowledge. The author prioritized what was most valuable to learn professionally and personally, observed the team, read and reviewed code, and took online classes. The article also highlights the importance of having a growth mindset, setting personal goals, and encouraging the team to get involved.

Two Roadmaps In One

The PM team initially wanted to create separate technical and product roadmaps, but encountered problems with conflicting priorities. After an intense discussion, they decided to merge the two roadmaps into one. They also established that any feature proposed should be matched by a technical assessment, and that all teams should be involved in the discussions and prioritization. This improved their performance and communication.

Team Collaboration Will Make a Customer Happy

The problem of ownership between two teams using different technologies was addressed by introducing a customer's perspective and reframing the discussion. Scrum was used to create better team dynamics and regular Scrum of Scrums meetings were proposed. QAs were invited to participate and organize group tests. The lesson learned was that ownership should focus on the product as a whole and all teams should be guided by customers' perspective. QAs were hesitant to join, but once they understood their role they were more eager to participate.

How To Attract New Hires When Constrained By a Budget

The author was a technical co-founder of a startup and needed additional help to complete the project. To do this, they hired juniors and a UI designer, worked with an external development team, and found two interns who were only looking for experience. The author learned that there are many low-cost or affordable hiring options and that it is important to understand what motivates people on a case-by-case basis. After five months, the team was complete.

Building a Team From Scratch

This article describes the experience of leading a team tasked with building a product using data collected by an independent unit. The author used the Opportunity Open Market (OOM) methodology to recruit people internally, and also looked to their LinkedIn network and referrals for potential candidates. After one year, the team had grown to 40 people and was highly diverse. The author learned that OOM was an effective way to hire people quickly, and that mobility and flexibility should be encouraged in order for employees to build their expertise.

Staying Technical While Growing As a Manager

The engineer in this article emphasizes the importance of staying technical as a manager. He recommends blocking off time in the calendar to perfect and propel technical skills, and getting into the trenches by participating in design and brainstorming sessions. He also encourages intellectual engagement with the team, such as discussing and exchanging arguments, in order to stay technical. Ultimately, the engineer emphasizes that staying technical is essential for a well-rounded manager, and will earn respect from the team.

How an Inspiring Manager Can Encourage Your Transition From an IC To a Manager

This article reflects on the author's experience transitioning from a back-end engineer to a manager. They learned a lot from their role model manager, as well as other managers, about mistakes to avoid and how to make their team happy. The author also learned the importance of understanding each team member and communicating in a way that they can comprehend. The lessons learned from this experience are that having a role model to inspire and encourage the transition to management is beneficial, not everyone desires a career in management, and not many companies offer ICs the opportunity to grow.

Maintaining Direct, Clear Engineering Feedback While Becoming Less Hands On

As managers become less hands-on in the day-to-day routines of those they manage, their ability to provide direct, clear engineering feedback becomes harder. To stay involved, managers can either carve out time to stay hands-on with one project, or create a support structure for those individuals to have direct engineering feedback from a mentor or technical lead. Staying involved is important to stay current and provide feedback to those individuals, and can be done by starting a new initiative and pulling in more senior folks to help transition it.

The Discipline of Carving Out Time for Career Investments

This article discusses the importance of investing in one's future through discipline and dedication. It emphasizes the need to carve out time for learning new skills, reading, and contributing to side projects. It also suggests that one should force themselves through the motions and be mindful of where they are making trade-offs.

Happiness in Your Work Life

The Happiness Triangle is a framework for achieving a successful and happy life, which can be applied to work life. It consists of three components: pleasure, meaning, and good mood. Pleasure is about enjoying what you do, meaning is about finding purpose in your work, and good mood is about achieving a state of flow. To maximize the three components, it is important to reflect on each area and acknowledge where you are lacking.

Failed Attempt at Job Simulation

This article discusses the experience of a company that used job simulation and homework as interview strategies, which proved to be unsuccessful. Poor planning and validation on-site led to the phasing out of these strategies. The article also provides lessons learned, such as the importance of balancing hypothetical testing with actual work, and the need to ask questions that relate to the candidate's work.

Leveraging Team Adversity

When forming a team, it is important to leverage internal conflict in order to develop a productive and tightly knit group. To do this, give the team tasks to complete and set high standards for the work they should be doing. This will create a sense of trust, connection, and confidence amongst the team, even if they don't reach the goal. Leadership is a balance between opposing ideas and caring for the team and mission.

Three Prioritization Frameworks To Make The Most Impact On The Business

This article discusses effective tools to ensure that every engineer within an organization is prioritizing what will be the most impactful for the business. These tools include OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), SLOs (Service-Level Objectives), and a Bug Zero Policy. Additionally, the article provides lessons learned from a company that had a team dedicated to resolving technical issues, which ultimately led to poor response times and disempowered teams from owning their products.

Conducting Course Correcting 1:1s

This article discusses the importance of one-on-ones in providing feedback and course-correcting performance. It suggests that if managers are providing consistent feedback, performance reviews become a formality and there is no need for them. The article also highlights the need for managers to stay ahead of their reports in terms of good and bad performance, and to use one-on-ones to build trust and discuss growth and opportunity.

Testing Product Ideas Using the Wizard of Oz Technique

A company was trying to make it easier for small businesses to purchase Workers' Comp insurance. To address the issue of businesses growing and needing to adjust their payments, they tested a Wizard of Oz technique where customers were emailed their current payroll and asked if it had changed. The test was successful, with 70% of customers responding and several expressing appreciation for the feature. The test also validated the assumptions that customers would understand why their prices were increasing or decreasing.

Little ‘P’ Product Owner

To encourage engineers to take ownership of their products, the author suggests having them think of themselves as the "little 'P' product owner" and to think of the product as if it were their own. This encourages them to think about user experience, latency, and other higher-level questions, and helps them to feel more secure about bringing up ideas and working harder.

The Three Dimensions of Engineering Management

Engineering management is a complex role that involves three key focus areas: people management, project management, and technical oversight. People management involves giving feedback, helping low and high performers, and building a healthy team. Project management involves building the right sort of things, meeting deadlines, and collaborating with other teams. Technical oversight involves building a product for the long-term, understanding complexities, and helping the team make the best technical decisions. Ultimately, engineering management is about making sure the team is healthy and effective.

Structuring Teams

This article discusses how to manage a team of engineers when product management and design are not available. It suggests focusing on metrics and goals, staying plugged in as a leader, and creating an organizational structure that is flexible and can be validated regularly. It also suggests having dedicated teams, prioritizing tasks, and having hard conversations when needed.

Making Your Remote Team Feel Part of the Company

When a new office was opened in Dublin, Ireland to expand the payments team at Patreon, the remote team felt disconnected from the company due to only being given projects B and C. To motivate the team, the importance of their work was shared with them and the rest of the company was made aware of the importance of the remote team's work. It is necessary to find a way to give the remote team more relevant projects so they can identify with a real project and stay motivated in the long term.

Proposing Solutions, Not Problems

When working with multiple teams across various countries, it can be difficult for upper management to understand the pain points. As a manager, it is important to bridge the gap by providing useful information and solutions to make the best decisions. Create a concise document with the situation, why it is a problem, and the best solutions. Send the proposal to your boss ahead of time and keep it short and to the point.

Gaining Technical and Product Knowledge

This article discusses the steps taken by a web developer who was hired to lead a mobile team, despite not having a lot of technical knowledge. The author prioritized what was most valuable to learn professionally and personally, observed the team, read and reviewed code, and took online classes. The article also highlights the importance of having a growth mindset, setting personal goals, and encouraging the team to get involved.

Two Roadmaps In One

The PM team initially wanted to create separate technical and product roadmaps, but encountered problems with conflicting priorities. After an intense discussion, they decided to merge the two roadmaps into one. They also established that any feature proposed should be matched by a technical assessment, and that all teams should be involved in the discussions and prioritization. This improved their performance and communication.

Team Collaboration Will Make a Customer Happy

The problem of ownership between two teams using different technologies was addressed by introducing a customer's perspective and reframing the discussion. Scrum was used to create better team dynamics and regular Scrum of Scrums meetings were proposed. QAs were invited to participate and organize group tests. The lesson learned was that ownership should focus on the product as a whole and all teams should be guided by customers' perspective. QAs were hesitant to join, but once they understood their role they were more eager to participate.

How To Attract New Hires When Constrained By a Budget

The author was a technical co-founder of a startup and needed additional help to complete the project. To do this, they hired juniors and a UI designer, worked with an external development team, and found two interns who were only looking for experience. The author learned that there are many low-cost or affordable hiring options and that it is important to understand what motivates people on a case-by-case basis. After five months, the team was complete.

Building a Team From Scratch

This article describes the experience of leading a team tasked with building a product using data collected by an independent unit. The author used the Opportunity Open Market (OOM) methodology to recruit people internally, and also looked to their LinkedIn network and referrals for potential candidates. After one year, the team had grown to 40 people and was highly diverse. The author learned that OOM was an effective way to hire people quickly, and that mobility and flexibility should be encouraged in order for employees to build their expertise.

Staying Technical While Growing As a Manager

The engineer in this article emphasizes the importance of staying technical as a manager. He recommends blocking off time in the calendar to perfect and propel technical skills, and getting into the trenches by participating in design and brainstorming sessions. He also encourages intellectual engagement with the team, such as discussing and exchanging arguments, in order to stay technical. Ultimately, the engineer emphasizes that staying technical is essential for a well-rounded manager, and will earn respect from the team.

How an Inspiring Manager Can Encourage Your Transition From an IC To a Manager

This article reflects on the author's experience transitioning from a back-end engineer to a manager. They learned a lot from their role model manager, as well as other managers, about mistakes to avoid and how to make their team happy. The author also learned the importance of understanding each team member and communicating in a way that they can comprehend. The lessons learned from this experience are that having a role model to inspire and encourage the transition to management is beneficial, not everyone desires a career in management, and not many companies offer ICs the opportunity to grow.

Maintaining Direct, Clear Engineering Feedback While Becoming Less Hands On

As managers become less hands-on in the day-to-day routines of those they manage, their ability to provide direct, clear engineering feedback becomes harder. To stay involved, managers can either carve out time to stay hands-on with one project, or create a support structure for those individuals to have direct engineering feedback from a mentor or technical lead. Staying involved is important to stay current and provide feedback to those individuals, and can be done by starting a new initiative and pulling in more senior folks to help transition it.

The Discipline of Carving Out Time for Career Investments

This article discusses the importance of investing in one's future through discipline and dedication. It emphasizes the need to carve out time for learning new skills, reading, and contributing to side projects. It also suggests that one should force themselves through the motions and be mindful of where they are making trade-offs.

Happiness in Your Work Life

The Happiness Triangle is a framework for achieving a successful and happy life, which can be applied to work life. It consists of three components: pleasure, meaning, and good mood. Pleasure is about enjoying what you do, meaning is about finding purpose in your work, and good mood is about achieving a state of flow. To maximize the three components, it is important to reflect on each area and acknowledge where you are lacking.

Failed Attempt at Job Simulation

This article discusses the experience of a company that used job simulation and homework as interview strategies, which proved to be unsuccessful. Poor planning and validation on-site led to the phasing out of these strategies. The article also provides lessons learned, such as the importance of balancing hypothetical testing with actual work, and the need to ask questions that relate to the candidate's work.

Leveraging Team Adversity

When forming a team, it is important to leverage internal conflict in order to develop a productive and tightly knit group. To do this, give the team tasks to complete and set high standards for the work they should be doing. This will create a sense of trust, connection, and confidence amongst the team, even if they don't reach the goal. Leadership is a balance between opposing ideas and caring for the team and mission.

Three Prioritization Frameworks To Make The Most Impact On The Business

This article discusses effective tools to ensure that every engineer within an organization is prioritizing what will be the most impactful for the business. These tools include OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), SLOs (Service-Level Objectives), and a Bug Zero Policy. Additionally, the article provides lessons learned from a company that had a team dedicated to resolving technical issues, which ultimately led to poor response times and disempowered teams from owning their products.

Conducting Course Correcting 1:1s

This article discusses the importance of one-on-ones in providing feedback and course-correcting performance. It suggests that if managers are providing consistent feedback, performance reviews become a formality and there is no need for them. The article also highlights the need for managers to stay ahead of their reports in terms of good and bad performance, and to use one-on-ones to build trust and discuss growth and opportunity.

Testing Product Ideas Using the Wizard of Oz Technique

A company was trying to make it easier for small businesses to purchase Workers' Comp insurance. To address the issue of businesses growing and needing to adjust their payments, they tested a Wizard of Oz technique where customers were emailed their current payroll and asked if it had changed. The test was successful, with 70% of customers responding and several expressing appreciation for the feature. The test also validated the assumptions that customers would understand why their prices were increasing or decreasing.

Little ‘P’ Product Owner

To encourage engineers to take ownership of their products, the author suggests having them think of themselves as the "little 'P' product owner" and to think of the product as if it were their own. This encourages them to think about user experience, latency, and other higher-level questions, and helps them to feel more secure about bringing up ideas and working harder.

The Three Dimensions of Engineering Management

Engineering management is a complex role that involves three key focus areas: people management, project management, and technical oversight. People management involves giving feedback, helping low and high performers, and building a healthy team. Project management involves building the right sort of things, meeting deadlines, and collaborating with other teams. Technical oversight involves building a product for the long-term, understanding complexities, and helping the team make the best technical decisions. Ultimately, engineering management is about making sure the team is healthy and effective.

Structuring Teams

This article discusses how to manage a team of engineers when product management and design are not available. It suggests focusing on metrics and goals, staying plugged in as a leader, and creating an organizational structure that is flexible and can be validated regularly. It also suggests having dedicated teams, prioritizing tasks, and having hard conversations when needed.

Making Your Remote Team Feel Part of the Company

When a new office was opened in Dublin, Ireland to expand the payments team at Patreon, the remote team felt disconnected from the company due to only being given projects B and C. To motivate the team, the importance of their work was shared with them and the rest of the company was made aware of the importance of the remote team's work. It is necessary to find a way to give the remote team more relevant projects so they can identify with a real project and stay motivated in the long term.

Proposing Solutions, Not Problems

When working with multiple teams across various countries, it can be difficult for upper management to understand the pain points. As a manager, it is important to bridge the gap by providing useful information and solutions to make the best decisions. Create a concise document with the situation, why it is a problem, and the best solutions. Send the proposal to your boss ahead of time and keep it short and to the point.

Gaining Technical and Product Knowledge

This article discusses the steps taken by a web developer who was hired to lead a mobile team, despite not having a lot of technical knowledge. The author prioritized what was most valuable to learn professionally and personally, observed the team, read and reviewed code, and took online classes. The article also highlights the importance of having a growth mindset, setting personal goals, and encouraging the team to get involved.

Two Roadmaps In One

The PM team initially wanted to create separate technical and product roadmaps, but encountered problems with conflicting priorities. After an intense discussion, they decided to merge the two roadmaps into one. They also established that any feature proposed should be matched by a technical assessment, and that all teams should be involved in the discussions and prioritization. This improved their performance and communication.

Team Collaboration Will Make a Customer Happy

The problem of ownership between two teams using different technologies was addressed by introducing a customer's perspective and reframing the discussion. Scrum was used to create better team dynamics and regular Scrum of Scrums meetings were proposed. QAs were invited to participate and organize group tests. The lesson learned was that ownership should focus on the product as a whole and all teams should be guided by customers' perspective. QAs were hesitant to join, but once they understood their role they were more eager to participate.

How To Attract New Hires When Constrained By a Budget

The author was a technical co-founder of a startup and needed additional help to complete the project. To do this, they hired juniors and a UI designer, worked with an external development team, and found two interns who were only looking for experience. The author learned that there are many low-cost or affordable hiring options and that it is important to understand what motivates people on a case-by-case basis. After five months, the team was complete.

Building a Team From Scratch

This article describes the experience of leading a team tasked with building a product using data collected by an independent unit. The author used the Opportunity Open Market (OOM) methodology to recruit people internally, and also looked to their LinkedIn network and referrals for potential candidates. After one year, the team had grown to 40 people and was highly diverse. The author learned that OOM was an effective way to hire people quickly, and that mobility and flexibility should be encouraged in order for employees to build their expertise.

Staying Technical While Growing As a Manager

The engineer in this article emphasizes the importance of staying technical as a manager. He recommends blocking off time in the calendar to perfect and propel technical skills, and getting into the trenches by participating in design and brainstorming sessions. He also encourages intellectual engagement with the team, such as discussing and exchanging arguments, in order to stay technical. Ultimately, the engineer emphasizes that staying technical is essential for a well-rounded manager, and will earn respect from the team.

How an Inspiring Manager Can Encourage Your Transition From an IC To a Manager

This article reflects on the author's experience transitioning from a back-end engineer to a manager. They learned a lot from their role model manager, as well as other managers, about mistakes to avoid and how to make their team happy. The author also learned the importance of understanding each team member and communicating in a way that they can comprehend. The lessons learned from this experience are that having a role model to inspire and encourage the transition to management is beneficial, not everyone desires a career in management, and not many companies offer ICs the opportunity to grow.

Maintaining Direct, Clear Engineering Feedback While Becoming Less Hands On

As managers become less hands-on in the day-to-day routines of those they manage, their ability to provide direct, clear engineering feedback becomes harder. To stay involved, managers can either carve out time to stay hands-on with one project, or create a support structure for those individuals to have direct engineering feedback from a mentor or technical lead. Staying involved is important to stay current and provide feedback to those individuals, and can be done by starting a new initiative and pulling in more senior folks to help transition it.

The Discipline of Carving Out Time for Career Investments

This article discusses the importance of investing in one's future through discipline and dedication. It emphasizes the need to carve out time for learning new skills, reading, and contributing to side projects. It also suggests that one should force themselves through the motions and be mindful of where they are making trade-offs.

Happiness in Your Work Life

The Happiness Triangle is a framework for achieving a successful and happy life, which can be applied to work life. It consists of three components: pleasure, meaning, and good mood. Pleasure is about enjoying what you do, meaning is about finding purpose in your work, and good mood is about achieving a state of flow. To maximize the three components, it is important to reflect on each area and acknowledge where you are lacking.

Failed Attempt at Job Simulation

This article discusses the experience of a company that used job simulation and homework as interview strategies, which proved to be unsuccessful. Poor planning and validation on-site led to the phasing out of these strategies. The article also provides lessons learned, such as the importance of balancing hypothetical testing with actual work, and the need to ask questions that relate to the candidate's work.

Leveraging Team Adversity

When forming a team, it is important to leverage internal conflict in order to develop a productive and tightly knit group. To do this, give the team tasks to complete and set high standards for the work they should be doing. This will create a sense of trust, connection, and confidence amongst the team, even if they don't reach the goal. Leadership is a balance between opposing ideas and caring for the team and mission.

Three Prioritization Frameworks To Make The Most Impact On The Business

This article discusses effective tools to ensure that every engineer within an organization is prioritizing what will be the most impactful for the business. These tools include OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), SLOs (Service-Level Objectives), and a Bug Zero Policy. Additionally, the article provides lessons learned from a company that had a team dedicated to resolving technical issues, which ultimately led to poor response times and disempowered teams from owning their products.

Conducting Course Correcting 1:1s

This article discusses the importance of one-on-ones in providing feedback and course-correcting performance. It suggests that if managers are providing consistent feedback, performance reviews become a formality and there is no need for them. The article also highlights the need for managers to stay ahead of their reports in terms of good and bad performance, and to use one-on-ones to build trust and discuss growth and opportunity.

Testing Product Ideas Using the Wizard of Oz Technique

A company was trying to make it easier for small businesses to purchase Workers' Comp insurance. To address the issue of businesses growing and needing to adjust their payments, they tested a Wizard of Oz technique where customers were emailed their current payroll and asked if it had changed. The test was successful, with 70% of customers responding and several expressing appreciation for the feature. The test also validated the assumptions that customers would understand why their prices were increasing or decreasing.

Little ‘P’ Product Owner

To encourage engineers to take ownership of their products, the author suggests having them think of themselves as the "little 'P' product owner" and to think of the product as if it were their own. This encourages them to think about user experience, latency, and other higher-level questions, and helps them to feel more secure about bringing up ideas and working harder.

The Three Dimensions of Engineering Management

Engineering management is a complex role that involves three key focus areas: people management, project management, and technical oversight. People management involves giving feedback, helping low and high performers, and building a healthy team. Project management involves building the right sort of things, meeting deadlines, and collaborating with other teams. Technical oversight involves building a product for the long-term, understanding complexities, and helping the team make the best technical decisions. Ultimately, engineering management is about making sure the team is healthy and effective.

Structuring Teams

This article discusses how to manage a team of engineers when product management and design are not available. It suggests focusing on metrics and goals, staying plugged in as a leader, and creating an organizational structure that is flexible and can be validated regularly. It also suggests having dedicated teams, prioritizing tasks, and having hard conversations when needed.

Making Your Remote Team Feel Part of the Company

When a new office was opened in Dublin, Ireland to expand the payments team at Patreon, the remote team felt disconnected from the company due to only being given projects B and C. To motivate the team, the importance of their work was shared with them and the rest of the company was made aware of the importance of the remote team's work. It is necessary to find a way to give the remote team more relevant projects so they can identify with a real project and stay motivated in the long term.

Proposing Solutions, Not Problems

When working with multiple teams across various countries, it can be difficult for upper management to understand the pain points. As a manager, it is important to bridge the gap by providing useful information and solutions to make the best decisions. Create a concise document with the situation, why it is a problem, and the best solutions. Send the proposal to your boss ahead of time and keep it short and to the point.

Gaining Technical and Product Knowledge

This article discusses the steps taken by a web developer who was hired to lead a mobile team, despite not having a lot of technical knowledge. The author prioritized what was most valuable to learn professionally and personally, observed the team, read and reviewed code, and took online classes. The article also highlights the importance of having a growth mindset, setting personal goals, and encouraging the team to get involved.

Two Roadmaps In One

The PM team initially wanted to create separate technical and product roadmaps, but encountered problems with conflicting priorities. After an intense discussion, they decided to merge the two roadmaps into one. They also established that any feature proposed should be matched by a technical assessment, and that all teams should be involved in the discussions and prioritization. This improved their performance and communication.

Team Collaboration Will Make a Customer Happy

The problem of ownership between two teams using different technologies was addressed by introducing a customer's perspective and reframing the discussion. Scrum was used to create better team dynamics and regular Scrum of Scrums meetings were proposed. QAs were invited to participate and organize group tests. The lesson learned was that ownership should focus on the product as a whole and all teams should be guided by customers' perspective. QAs were hesitant to join, but once they understood their role they were more eager to participate.

How To Attract New Hires When Constrained By a Budget

The author was a technical co-founder of a startup and needed additional help to complete the project. To do this, they hired juniors and a UI designer, worked with an external development team, and found two interns who were only looking for experience. The author learned that there are many low-cost or affordable hiring options and that it is important to understand what motivates people on a case-by-case basis. After five months, the team was complete.

Building a Team From Scratch

This article describes the experience of leading a team tasked with building a product using data collected by an independent unit. The author used the Opportunity Open Market (OOM) methodology to recruit people internally, and also looked to their LinkedIn network and referrals for potential candidates. After one year, the team had grown to 40 people and was highly diverse. The author learned that OOM was an effective way to hire people quickly, and that mobility and flexibility should be encouraged in order for employees to build their expertise.

Staying Technical While Growing As a Manager

The engineer in this article emphasizes the importance of staying technical as a manager. He recommends blocking off time in the calendar to perfect and propel technical skills, and getting into the trenches by participating in design and brainstorming sessions. He also encourages intellectual engagement with the team, such as discussing and exchanging arguments, in order to stay technical. Ultimately, the engineer emphasizes that staying technical is essential for a well-rounded manager, and will earn respect from the team.

How an Inspiring Manager Can Encourage Your Transition From an IC To a Manager

This article reflects on the author's experience transitioning from a back-end engineer to a manager. They learned a lot from their role model manager, as well as other managers, about mistakes to avoid and how to make their team happy. The author also learned the importance of understanding each team member and communicating in a way that they can comprehend. The lessons learned from this experience are that having a role model to inspire and encourage the transition to management is beneficial, not everyone desires a career in management, and not many companies offer ICs the opportunity to grow.

Maintaining Direct, Clear Engineering Feedback While Becoming Less Hands On

As managers become less hands-on in the day-to-day routines of those they manage, their ability to provide direct, clear engineering feedback becomes harder. To stay involved, managers can either carve out time to stay hands-on with one project, or create a support structure for those individuals to have direct engineering feedback from a mentor or technical lead. Staying involved is important to stay current and provide feedback to those individuals, and can be done by starting a new initiative and pulling in more senior folks to help transition it.

The Discipline of Carving Out Time for Career Investments

This article discusses the importance of investing in one's future through discipline and dedication. It emphasizes the need to carve out time for learning new skills, reading, and contributing to side projects. It also suggests that one should force themselves through the motions and be mindful of where they are making trade-offs.

Happiness in Your Work Life

The Happiness Triangle is a framework for achieving a successful and happy life, which can be applied to work life. It consists of three components: pleasure, meaning, and good mood. Pleasure is about enjoying what you do, meaning is about finding purpose in your work, and good mood is about achieving a state of flow. To maximize the three components, it is important to reflect on each area and acknowledge where you are lacking.

Failed Attempt at Job Simulation

This article discusses the experience of a company that used job simulation and homework as interview strategies, which proved to be unsuccessful. Poor planning and validation on-site led to the phasing out of these strategies. The article also provides lessons learned, such as the importance of balancing hypothetical testing with actual work, and the need to ask questions that relate to the candidate's work.

Leveraging Team Adversity

When forming a team, it is important to leverage internal conflict in order to develop a productive and tightly knit group. To do this, give the team tasks to complete and set high standards for the work they should be doing. This will create a sense of trust, connection, and confidence amongst the team, even if they don't reach the goal. Leadership is a balance between opposing ideas and caring for the team and mission.

Three Prioritization Frameworks To Make The Most Impact On The Business

This article discusses effective tools to ensure that every engineer within an organization is prioritizing what will be the most impactful for the business. These tools include OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), SLOs (Service-Level Objectives), and a Bug Zero Policy. Additionally, the article provides lessons learned from a company that had a team dedicated to resolving technical issues, which ultimately led to poor response times and disempowered teams from owning their products.

Conducting Course Correcting 1:1s

This article discusses the importance of one-on-ones in providing feedback and course-correcting performance. It suggests that if managers are providing consistent feedback, performance reviews become a formality and there is no need for them. The article also highlights the need for managers to stay ahead of their reports in terms of good and bad performance, and to use one-on-ones to build trust and discuss growth and opportunity.

Testing Product Ideas Using the Wizard of Oz Technique

A company was trying to make it easier for small businesses to purchase Workers' Comp insurance. To address the issue of businesses growing and needing to adjust their payments, they tested a Wizard of Oz technique where customers were emailed their current payroll and asked if it had changed. The test was successful, with 70% of customers responding and several expressing appreciation for the feature. The test also validated the assumptions that customers would understand why their prices were increasing or decreasing.

Little ‘P’ Product Owner

To encourage engineers to take ownership of their products, the author suggests having them think of themselves as the "little 'P' product owner" and to think of the product as if it were their own. This encourages them to think about user experience, latency, and other higher-level questions, and helps them to feel more secure about bringing up ideas and working harder.

The Three Dimensions of Engineering Management

Engineering management is a complex role that involves three key focus areas: people management, project management, and technical oversight. People management involves giving feedback, helping low and high performers, and building a healthy team. Project management involves building the right sort of things, meeting deadlines, and collaborating with other teams. Technical oversight involves building a product for the long-term, understanding complexities, and helping the team make the best technical decisions. Ultimately, engineering management is about making sure the team is healthy and effective.

Structuring Teams

This article discusses how to manage a team of engineers when product management and design are not available. It suggests focusing on metrics and goals, staying plugged in as a leader, and creating an organizational structure that is flexible and can be validated regularly. It also suggests having dedicated teams, prioritizing tasks, and having hard conversations when needed.

Making Your Remote Team Feel Part of the Company

When a new office was opened in Dublin, Ireland to expand the payments team at Patreon, the remote team felt disconnected from the company due to only being given projects B and C. To motivate the team, the importance of their work was shared with them and the rest of the company was made aware of the importance of the remote team's work. It is necessary to find a way to give the remote team more relevant projects so they can identify with a real project and stay motivated in the long term.

Proposing Solutions, Not Problems

When working with multiple teams across various countries, it can be difficult for upper management to understand the pain points. As a manager, it is important to bridge the gap by providing useful information and solutions to make the best decisions. Create a concise document with the situation, why it is a problem, and the best solutions. Send the proposal to your boss ahead of time and keep it short and to the point.

Gaining Technical and Product Knowledge

This article discusses the steps taken by a web developer who was hired to lead a mobile team, despite not having a lot of technical knowledge. The author prioritized what was most valuable to learn professionally and personally, observed the team, read and reviewed code, and took online classes. The article also highlights the importance of having a growth mindset, setting personal goals, and encouraging the team to get involved.

Two Roadmaps In One

The PM team initially wanted to create separate technical and product roadmaps, but encountered problems with conflicting priorities. After an intense discussion, they decided to merge the two roadmaps into one. They also established that any feature proposed should be matched by a technical assessment, and that all teams should be involved in the discussions and prioritization. This improved their performance and communication.

Team Collaboration Will Make a Customer Happy

The problem of ownership between two teams using different technologies was addressed by introducing a customer's perspective and reframing the discussion. Scrum was used to create better team dynamics and regular Scrum of Scrums meetings were proposed. QAs were invited to participate and organize group tests. The lesson learned was that ownership should focus on the product as a whole and all teams should be guided by customers' perspective. QAs were hesitant to join, but once they understood their role they were more eager to participate.

How To Attract New Hires When Constrained By a Budget

The author was a technical co-founder of a startup and needed additional help to complete the project. To do this, they hired juniors and a UI designer, worked with an external development team, and found two interns who were only looking for experience. The author learned that there are many low-cost or affordable hiring options and that it is important to understand what motivates people on a case-by-case basis. After five months, the team was complete.

Building a Team From Scratch

This article describes the experience of leading a team tasked with building a product using data collected by an independent unit. The author used the Opportunity Open Market (OOM) methodology to recruit people internally, and also looked to their LinkedIn network and referrals for potential candidates. After one year, the team had grown to 40 people and was highly diverse. The author learned that OOM was an effective way to hire people quickly, and that mobility and flexibility should be encouraged in order for employees to build their expertise.

Staying Technical While Growing As a Manager

The engineer in this article emphasizes the importance of staying technical as a manager. He recommends blocking off time in the calendar to perfect and propel technical skills, and getting into the trenches by participating in design and brainstorming sessions. He also encourages intellectual engagement with the team, such as discussing and exchanging arguments, in order to stay technical. Ultimately, the engineer emphasizes that staying technical is essential for a well-rounded manager, and will earn respect from the team.

How an Inspiring Manager Can Encourage Your Transition From an IC To a Manager

This article reflects on the author's experience transitioning from a back-end engineer to a manager. They learned a lot from their role model manager, as well as other managers, about mistakes to avoid and how to make their team happy. The author also learned the importance of understanding each team member and communicating in a way that they can comprehend. The lessons learned from this experience are that having a role model to inspire and encourage the transition to management is beneficial, not everyone desires a career in management, and not many companies offer ICs the opportunity to grow.

Maintaining Direct, Clear Engineering Feedback While Becoming Less Hands On

As managers become less hands-on in the day-to-day routines of those they manage, their ability to provide direct, clear engineering feedback becomes harder. To stay involved, managers can either carve out time to stay hands-on with one project, or create a support structure for those individuals to have direct engineering feedback from a mentor or technical lead. Staying involved is important to stay current and provide feedback to those individuals, and can be done by starting a new initiative and pulling in more senior folks to help transition it.

The Discipline of Carving Out Time for Career Investments

This article discusses the importance of investing in one's future through discipline and dedication. It emphasizes the need to carve out time for learning new skills, reading, and contributing to side projects. It also suggests that one should force themselves through the motions and be mindful of where they are making trade-offs.

Happiness in Your Work Life

The Happiness Triangle is a framework for achieving a successful and happy life, which can be applied to work life. It consists of three components: pleasure, meaning, and good mood. Pleasure is about enjoying what you do, meaning is about finding purpose in your work, and good mood is about achieving a state of flow. To maximize the three components, it is important to reflect on each area and acknowledge where you are lacking.

Failed Attempt at Job Simulation

This article discusses the experience of a company that used job simulation and homework as interview strategies, which proved to be unsuccessful. Poor planning and validation on-site led to the phasing out of these strategies. The article also provides lessons learned, such as the importance of balancing hypothetical testing with actual work, and the need to ask questions that relate to the candidate's work.

Leveraging Team Adversity

When forming a team, it is important to leverage internal conflict in order to develop a productive and tightly knit group. To do this, give the team tasks to complete and set high standards for the work they should be doing. This will create a sense of trust, connection, and confidence amongst the team, even if they don't reach the goal. Leadership is a balance between opposing ideas and caring for the team and mission.

Three Prioritization Frameworks To Make The Most Impact On The Business

This article discusses effective tools to ensure that every engineer within an organization is prioritizing what will be the most impactful for the business. These tools include OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), SLOs (Service-Level Objectives), and a Bug Zero Policy. Additionally, the article provides lessons learned from a company that had a team dedicated to resolving technical issues, which ultimately led to poor response times and disempowered teams from owning their products.

Conducting Course Correcting 1:1s

This article discusses the importance of one-on-ones in providing feedback and course-correcting performance. It suggests that if managers are providing consistent feedback, performance reviews become a formality and there is no need for them. The article also highlights the need for managers to stay ahead of their reports in terms of good and bad performance, and to use one-on-ones to build trust and discuss growth and opportunity.

Testing Product Ideas Using the Wizard of Oz Technique

A company was trying to make it easier for small businesses to purchase Workers' Comp insurance. To address the issue of businesses growing and needing to adjust their payments, they tested a Wizard of Oz technique where customers were emailed their current payroll and asked if it had changed. The test was successful, with 70% of customers responding and several expressing appreciation for the feature. The test also validated the assumptions that customers would understand why their prices were increasing or decreasing.

Little ‘P’ Product Owner

To encourage engineers to take ownership of their products, the author suggests having them think of themselves as the "little 'P' product owner" and to think of the product as if it were their own. This encourages them to think about user experience, latency, and other higher-level questions, and helps them to feel more secure about bringing up ideas and working harder.

The Three Dimensions of Engineering Management

Engineering management is a complex role that involves three key focus areas: people management, project management, and technical oversight. People management involves giving feedback, helping low and high performers, and building a healthy team. Project management involves building the right sort of things, meeting deadlines, and collaborating with other teams. Technical oversight involves building a product for the long-term, understanding complexities, and helping the team make the best technical decisions. Ultimately, engineering management is about making sure the team is healthy and effective.

Structuring Teams

This article discusses how to manage a team of engineers when product management and design are not available. It suggests focusing on metrics and goals, staying plugged in as a leader, and creating an organizational structure that is flexible and can be validated regularly. It also suggests having dedicated teams, prioritizing tasks, and having hard conversations when needed.

Making Your Remote Team Feel Part of the Company

When a new office was opened in Dublin, Ireland to expand the payments team at Patreon, the remote team felt disconnected from the company due to only being given projects B and C. To motivate the team, the importance of their work was shared with them and the rest of the company was made aware of the importance of the remote team's work. It is necessary to find a way to give the remote team more relevant projects so they can identify with a real project and stay motivated in the long term.

Proposing Solutions, Not Problems

When working with multiple teams across various countries, it can be difficult for upper management to understand the pain points. As a manager, it is important to bridge the gap by providing useful information and solutions to make the best decisions. Create a concise document with the situation, why it is a problem, and the best solutions. Send the proposal to your boss ahead of time and keep it short and to the point.

Gaining Technical and Product Knowledge

This article discusses the steps taken by a web developer who was hired to lead a mobile team, despite not having a lot of technical knowledge. The author prioritized what was most valuable to learn professionally and personally, observed the team, read and reviewed code, and took online classes. The article also highlights the importance of having a growth mindset, setting personal goals, and encouraging the team to get involved.

Two Roadmaps In One

The PM team initially wanted to create separate technical and product roadmaps, but encountered problems with conflicting priorities. After an intense discussion, they decided to merge the two roadmaps into one. They also established that any feature proposed should be matched by a technical assessment, and that all teams should be involved in the discussions and prioritization. This improved their performance and communication.

Team Collaboration Will Make a Customer Happy

The problem of ownership between two teams using different technologies was addressed by introducing a customer's perspective and reframing the discussion. Scrum was used to create better team dynamics and regular Scrum of Scrums meetings were proposed. QAs were invited to participate and organize group tests. The lesson learned was that ownership should focus on the product as a whole and all teams should be guided by customers' perspective. QAs were hesitant to join, but once they understood their role they were more eager to participate.

How To Attract New Hires When Constrained By a Budget

The author was a technical co-founder of a startup and needed additional help to complete the project. To do this, they hired juniors and a UI designer, worked with an external development team, and found two interns who were only looking for experience. The author learned that there are many low-cost or affordable hiring options and that it is important to understand what motivates people on a case-by-case basis. After five months, the team was complete.

Building a Team From Scratch

This article describes the experience of leading a team tasked with building a product using data collected by an independent unit. The author used the Opportunity Open Market (OOM) methodology to recruit people internally, and also looked to their LinkedIn network and referrals for potential candidates. After one year, the team had grown to 40 people and was highly diverse. The author learned that OOM was an effective way to hire people quickly, and that mobility and flexibility should be encouraged in order for employees to build their expertise.

Staying Technical While Growing As a Manager

The engineer in this article emphasizes the importance of staying technical as a manager. He recommends blocking off time in the calendar to perfect and propel technical skills, and getting into the trenches by participating in design and brainstorming sessions. He also encourages intellectual engagement with the team, such as discussing and exchanging arguments, in order to stay technical. Ultimately, the engineer emphasizes that staying technical is essential for a well-rounded manager, and will earn respect from the team.

How an Inspiring Manager Can Encourage Your Transition From an IC To a Manager

This article reflects on the author's experience transitioning from a back-end engineer to a manager. They learned a lot from their role model manager, as well as other managers, about mistakes to avoid and how to make their team happy. The author also learned the importance of understanding each team member and communicating in a way that they can comprehend. The lessons learned from this experience are that having a role model to inspire and encourage the transition to management is beneficial, not everyone desires a career in management, and not many companies offer ICs the opportunity to grow.