Principles & ideas
What I believe about building.
What changes when you move from writing code to leading the people who write it. Twenty things I've learned, ten for each seat.
Ten truths
As an engineering manager
You're no longer hired to solve technical problems. You're hired to empower your team to solve them.
Your success is their success.
Your primary output is not code. It's people.
The stronger your team, the better your results.
Your time is no longer your own.
Meetings, one-on-ones and team alignment become your daily priorities.
Context switching is your new normal.
Balancing technical discussions, team morale and strategic planning is the job.
You'll spend more time hiring than you ever thought.
Building and retaining a great team is your number one job.
The hardest conversations are the most important.
Giving honest feedback, managing underperformance and handling conflict are non-negotiable.
Trust is everything.
If your team doesn't trust you, they won't follow your leadership. Earn it, and guard it fiercely.
Delegation is survival.
You can't do everything. Your role is to guide, support and enable others to succeed.
You are the shield.
Protect your team from distractions, unnecessary pressure and organizational chaos.
Your growth matters too.
Don't get so busy managing others that you forget to invest in your own development.
Management isn't just a role. It's a transformation.
Ten truths
As a senior engineer
You're no longer hired to write code. You're hired to make your team's code better.
Your impact goes far beyond your commits.
Teaching is your superpower.
The faster you can level up junior engineers, the more valuable you become.
Your technical opinions will shape products.
With great influence comes the responsibility to back opinions with data.
Soft skills matter more than hard skills.
Communication, empathy and influence make the difference between good and great engineers.
You're not just solving problems. You're anticipating them.
Proactively identifying risks and gaps is your job now.
You need to unblock others.
A senior engineer who can keep the team moving is worth their weight in gold.
Architectural decisions are expensive.
Make them with care and consider future maintainability.
Delegation is a skill.
Learn to let go and trust others. You can't do everything yourself anymore.
Your feedback defines the culture.
The way you review code or guide a discussion sets the tone for the team.
You're not just building features. You're building systems that scale.
Think beyond the current sprint and plan for the long term.
Seniority isn't just a title. It's a mindset shift.