Tag: management challenges

Lessons From A High Growth Startup Dropout

I quit.  After about three years in a high growth tech startup I have decided to move on.  In that timespan I saw the company grow from about 30 employees to almost 200.  While I know this isn’t the fastest growing startup ever, it definitely qualifies as ‘high growth’ in my book.

There are some lessons learned that I would like to impart on other software leaders who are entering this type of environment.  While I had worked in many startups before, I found very different challenges in high growth vs. other operating modes.

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How to fire a Software Engineer

By far the hardest thing you will do as a manager is fire someone.  But you will need to do it.  There is no way around it.  If you want to be a manager, this is just part of the job.

I’ve discovered there are right and wrong ways to execute this.  I’m hoping some of the tips below help make the best of this difficult situation.

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How to stay technical as a software manager

As a manager, it’s very easy to quickly lose your technical edge.  Most of your day will get filled with meetings, planning sessions, strategy sessions, tactical status updates, 1 on 1’s, etc.  On top of a day filled with meetings you will need to figure out how to execute various initiatives, and spend nights catching up on email.

Given the above time and mindshare constraints, how can anyone expect you to have time to keep up with technical skills?

The simple answer is, “it doesn’t matter”, you need to figure out a way to do it regardless!

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10 Reasons to Stay Away From Management

 

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”

Top 5 Reasons to Choose Managing Over Coding

 

Many senior developers have faced the classic software career dilemma.  Do I go into management or continue down the technical path?   Some companies offer a ‘dual track’ where you get to choose one path, but provide compensation advancement in both.  Other companies (oftentimes startups) offer a blend, where the managers remain ‘hands on’ and continue to code.

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