The hottest Substack posts of Diary of an Engineering Manager

And their main takeaways
539 implied HN points 08 Aug 24
  1. Make your career goals clear by sharing your intent with your manager. Talking about your desire to become an engineering manager will help you get guidance and support.
  2. Focus on developing crucial skills like self-awareness, people skills, and project management. These skills are essential for leading a team effectively.
  3. Look for growth opportunities within your current company or elsewhere. Being prepared is important, but finding the right chance to step into an EM role is key.
259 implied HN points 22 Aug 24
  1. Career growth can be messy and non-linear, much like cooked spaghetti. Just because you're not moving up quickly doesn't mean you're failing.
  2. Promotions often come with extra responsibilities and sacrifices. It's important to reflect on whether you're ready for those changes before chasing a title.
  3. Your career will have phases, with ups and downs. It's okay to experience stagnation; it's part of building resilience for the long run.
119 implied HN points 05 Sep 24
  1. An engineering manager's role is more about teamwork than just giving orders. It's important to work together and support each other.
  2. The manager's job is like being a driver on a road trip. They navigate and ensure everyone is comfortable and safe along the journey.
  3. Being an engineering manager doesn't mean being smarter than everyone else. It means having different responsibilities while being part of the team.
179 implied HN points 15 Aug 24
  1. New engineering managers often struggle with accepting their new role. It's important to embrace this change or else it confuses the team and weakens your leadership.
  2. Many new managers make the mistake of telling their team too much instead of listening. Encouraging team members to share their ideas leads to better solutions and shows that you value their input.
  3. It's common to hold on to tasks instead of delegating them. Letting your team handle their own work not only helps them learn but also frees you up to focus on management responsibilities.
159 implied HN points 01 Aug 24
  1. This blog shares real-life experiences of an Engineering Manager to help others grow into leadership roles. It's based on practical stories rather than high-level advice.
  2. It's aimed at senior engineers, team leads, and new engineering managers, providing actionable advice without any confusing jargon.
  3. Readers can expect weekly posts that are easy to understand and filled with insights about the daily life of an Engineering Manager in tech.
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62 HN points 29 Aug 24
  1. Moving from individual contributor to engineering manager means letting go of past habits. You need to make room for new responsibilities and ways of working.
  2. As a manager, you won't build things directly. Instead, you'll help your team create and support multiple projects, shifting focus from personal achievements to team successes.
  3. Managers face longer feedback loops and must learn to communicate tough issues early on. This shift encourages patience and improves team dynamics.