He describes his departure from Brex, transition process, and support for his successor well. https://cosn.io/posts/executive-transitions
I asked this in another channel before, but I wanted to ask this group as well. For me, it was my first manager, who taught me a very important lesson. She emphasized collaboration and work relationships much more than immediate output. She believed we couldn't achieve our goals without having good...Read more
The book "Good Strategy Bad Strategy" is a great introduction to developing effective strategies. https://www.amazon.com/Good-Strategy-Bad-Difference-Matters/dp/0307886239 This blog post summarizes the book's key points. https://www.practicalengineering.management/i/143113023/what-is-a-good-stra...Read more
We often emphasize onboarding a new hire, but preboarding, which starts once a new hire accepts an offer, can be even more important. Here's what I do for preboarding. I created a Google Doc to share with new hires, which includes: - An explanation of when and who will contact them regarding equip...Read more
https://youtu.be/La2_IaV0icE I thought the video was pretty long, but surprisingly, I ended up watching it all in one go. I often find it tough to define engineering strategies and key metrics for my team. Will Larson talked about these topics, and his insights were really helpful, even though the...Read more
Great article: https://sebarmeli.substack.com/p/vitamin-b-for-engineering-teams-psychological The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety 1. inclusion Safety: Engineering leaders should ensure everyone can express their opinions freely and with respect. 2. Learner safety: Engineering leaders need to emp...Read more
It reminds me that "effectiveness" could be very different from "efficiency". https://youtu.be/LxL85C-ZO44
https://www.scribd.com/document/461600374/20-patterns-in-software-teams-pdf Any pattern you see frequently or disagree with?? Domain Champion Hoarding the Code Unusually High Churn Bullseye Commits Heroing Over Helping Clean As You Go In the Zone Bit Twiddling The Busy Body Scope Creep...Read more
Managing a sports team and managing an engineering team share many similarities. Leadership lessons from sports can be particularly insightful and are often easier to grasp. One common observation in sports is that legendary players frequently struggle as coaches. They become frustrated when their t...Read more
The term "debt" often carries a negative connotation of something owed. However, did an engineering team borrow or owe something? Not really. Instead, they made an optimization based on requirements and available resources. The term "debt" might suggest that the engineering team made a mistake, but ...Read more
Some of my team members with relatively short career experience become demotivated during periods of poor performance, whether by the company or themselves. The image aligns with my perspective. For example, they get frustrated when dealing with legacy code during their tasks. I advise them to refl...Read more
I have seen new hires who had solid work experience and did well in technical interviews, but their output remains low even after several months on the job. Have you experienced similar situations? Evaluating motivation and work ethic can be more challenging than assessing skills, but they are oft...Read more
I've received feedback from my team that they want more support with their career growth. While I try to provide constructive feedback during 1:1s, it seems like they are looking for something more structured. Personally, I've never felt the need for a formal career development plan. None of my man...Read more
I find the contents of the Lighthouse Newsletter/Blog very insightful for leadership although it tends to be quite longer than I want. I highly recommend it!!! https://getlighthouse.com/blog/ Do you know any other good newsletters or blogs for leadership?
"Only ask questions if you already tried ChatGPT." The AI-generated image is funny but very true. Leaders should be available to listen and answer questions, but they are also responsible for guiding team members to find solutions on their own. These days, there are many resources available: compan...Read more
I practiced AI drawing. Have you worked with any micromanagers? How do you know if you are doing micromanagement or not?
The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. - Ralph Nader A boss has a title, a leader has the people. - Simon Sinek A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. - Lao Tzu Good le...Read more
I am a staff engineer at a Series C startup, and I often enjoy helping other engineers, for example, code reviews and listening to their concerns. I'm considering whether I am ready to apply for a manager position. When did you know you were ready? Has anyone returned to an IC role after trying a m...Read more
https://www.uber.com/blog/how-to-rock-an-engineering-manager-interview/ * Ask questions to yourself like: What are the main positive points? Where was your contribution relevant? When did you make a difference in someone’s life? Write down the stories you want the company to know about you. Think a...Read more