A resource for software team leads, managers, and executives.
I was surfing the interwebs and found this very good article listing 44 engineering management lessons learned, from Slava Akhmechet, who is cofounder of RethinkDB.
Check it out here, well worth the read!
http://www.defmacro.org/2014/10/03/engman.html
In my previous article, Top 5 Reasons to Choose Managing Over Coding, I laid out my top reasons why I choose to be a manager rather than software engineer. However, the management role may not be the best option for everyone. In fact, oftentimes I wonder if I even made the right choice myself! In this article I’m going to lay out the counter-argument of why you should continue coding and stay away from management altogether.
Here are my top 10 reasons why I think you may want to stay on the technical path: Continue reading “10 Reasons to Stay Away From Management”
I love James Altucher. In case you haven’t heard of him, he’s an investor, writer, and entrepreneur. He has a popular blog, podcast, and a bunch of books. You can find all his material here: www.jamesaltucher.com
One of James’ most popular books, and my personal favorite, is called “Choose Yourself: Be Happy, Make Millions, Live the Dream”. In this book he talks about how the nature of employment is changing, and how we all need to become entrepreneurs. There are several principles that he advocates that I’ve started to utilize at work and have noticed a huge change. All software managers, really anyone in a leadership position, can benefit from the advice in this book and put it to immediate use. I highly recommend you check the book out for yourself. I also recommend you check out his podcast where he interviews various celebrities (from rappers to venture capitalists to authors).
Continue reading “How to Advance Your Career By Becoming an ‘Idea Machine’”
Let’s face it, the entire software industry is moving over to git. Open source has already moved. A fairly old, but still interesting, StackOverflow article shows some data on how the open source community has largely moved over to git. You can view the article HERE. The TLDR is this, you need to understand Git.
If your team isn’t already asking for it, they will be shortly. You need to understand what the implications are to your software project, and determine a migration strategy. Also, you need to understand the basic workflow and terminology that Git introduces.
Just made the switch from dev to team lead or manager? Below are my top 5 favorite books that will give you a jump start on the management track. You’ll find that these books are constantly referenced by other managers. They vary from business strategy, process, to general leadership skills.
This book is all about transitions. Whether you are just starting out at a new company, or are moving into a different group/position within the same company, this book is a classic that will walk you through proven strategies to ensure a successful transition. This book claims (and I totally agree) that the first 90 days set the tone for your entire career, and getting off to the right start is critical to success. I find myself frequently referencing this book for tips on handling various mgmt situations. The section on diagnosing your current situation alone is priceless.
If you haven’t read this book yet, buy it right now! It’s a classic that managers love to reference in as many meeting as possible to sound smart. This book coined the term ‘disruptive innovation’. Basically, the ‘dilemma’ is that as companies try to do all the right things they end up getting screwed by more nimble startups. Solution? Build a startup within your startup. This book provides a great framework for analyzing innovations in an organization, which can be beneficial to understanding your own business’s product strategy.
The most recent book on my list, and this one already feels like a timeless classic. This book takes the principles of Lean Manufacturing (check out The Toyota Way, by Jeffrey Liker) and applies them to software product development. Terms like ‘pivoting’ your organization and ‘minimal viable product’ were coined by Eric Ries. I’ve found that MVP gets thrown around the office way too much, mainly as an excuse to create a shitty product. It’s better to read the message from the horses mouth. It’s all about reducing the time to getting actual customer feedback and create the ‘build, measure, learn’ cycle. There are a good number of youtube talks with Eric Ries available. Also, check out the lean startup site here (http://theleanstartup.com/principles) for some more info.
Crossing the Chasm is a marketing book. It’s all about the technology adoption lifecycle, the various personas at each stage, and how to market to them. Terms like ‘early adopters’ and ‘laggards’ that are frequently thrown around the office were coined in this book.
I was initially turned off by the title of this book. At first I thought it was a book about how to manipulate people. In fact, this is a book about human psychology. As a new leader, it’s critical for you to learn the skill of influencing others. Influence is not the same thing as manipulation, though it can seem to be a fine line at times. Basically, you need to learn the skill of understanding others points of view, and how to communicate effectively with various personalities.
These are my top 5 must reads for all new managers. What other books do you recommend?
Like most, I first started in the software industry as an engineer. I was taught growing up that hard work in the end will be rewarded. My strong work ethic as an engineer resulted in me quickly being promoted up from individual contributor to team lead, manager, and then eventually director.
Then I noticed a big change.
When you are an individual contributor, you are often recognized by your peers and management for your contributions. You are asked to complete a specific task or project, and the results are usually demonstrable and easily recognizable.
As you move up into management everything changes.
When you move into management, there are fewer people above you to recognize your contributions. Oftentimes, your manager doesn’t understand the technical contributions you are making to the team, because they are non-technical.
Also, the role of a manager is much fuzzier. How can you quantify if you were successful at motivating or mentoring your team?
When I first moved into a management position, I thought it was most important to focus on managing down. My primary responsibility is to get my team to execute, right?
Well, that is only PART of the role. The other part of the manager’s job is to clearly communicate up (your boss) and across (your peers) your personal accomplishments as well as those of your team.
You have to become a salesman! This is not easy to do, especially for those of us introverted engineers.
You need to get out of your comfort zone! Instead of spending your whole day with the team, force yourself to walk around the office and meet one new person a week. Tell them what you do and what your team is working on. What your challenges are. See if there is any way you can help these people that you run into. Are any of the projects or initiatives that your team is involved in relevant to this person?
When your team hits a big milestone, be sure to communicate it out to the organization. Are the other dev teams aware? How about the rest of the product group? Promote your team to the organization. Be proud of their accomplishments. This is not slimy or devious. This is basic business communication.
You need to do this, there is no choice. If you don’t do it, no one else will. The reputation of your team will suffer for it. Your reputation as a leader will suffer.
And you can’t just promote your team, you need to promote yourself as well. No one else will be an advocate for you, except you!
Some people do the above naturally. I’d bet that most engineering managers don’t. I know I don’t. I’m still not good at doing the above. However, I’ve seen other managers excel at this and reap the benefits.
Check out a book on this entire topic here:
