Should Engineering Managers Code?
Newsletter - Issue #07
Before we dive into the best Bytes📰 of this week’s newsletter, let's talk about something truly interesting that happened last week at groCTO headquarters.
At our recent groCTO book club📚 (yes, we have one), one of our members sparked a fascinating discussion about Plurality- a book by co-author Audrey Tang. Tang, a trailblazer known for both technological innovation and inclusivity, argues that societies should cherish a wider range of viewpoints. The book delves into the possibility of using technology, perhaps even blockchain, to foster an environment that embraces this very idea of Plurality.
Now, some of you might hear "plurality" and think "technical libertarianism." But here's where Tang's concept takes a unique turn. Even for our member, Plurality isn't just about individual freedom, but about collaborative diversity. It's about technology that actively promotes a spectrum of voices and perspectives. Think of it like decentralization – where everyone can contribute and participate in their own way.
This concept to us resonates deeply, especially during Pride Month. After all, Pride is a celebration of inclusivity, It's a powerful reminder for all the great tech leaders out there that progress & innovation come from embracing all voices, not just the loudest or most familiar. We should create spaces where everyone feels safe to share their ideas, regardless of background or identity. This leads to a more engaged and innovative team.
With groCTO community, we aim to empower all voices.
Quick fact of Audrey Tang: This visionary leader, who happens to be transgender and non-binary, is a true inspiration. They've played a pivotal role in integrating technology into Taiwan's government and promoting transparency.
🌈Happy Pride Month! Shine bright and celebrate who you are!
Let’s dive into the best handpicked stories, starting with ⤵️
🎙️groCTO Podcast | ‘Scale up 101 for Dev Teams’ with Sayak Saha, Director of Engineering AUTO1 Group
Scaling a development team is an exciting yet intricate process. This very episode delves deeper than simply hiring more engineers. It tackles the crucial challenges that arise during this critical growth phase. Fostering seamless collaboration between engineering, design, and product teams through effective communication strategies is paramount in building a unified vision and a smoothly functioning product development pipeline. This episode unpacks the "Build vs. Buy vs. Run" framework, providing a valuable decision-making tool for CTOs and engineering leaders. Defining success for a growing development team extends beyond mere metrics. It requires establishing clear and measurable goals that contribute to both individual developer growth and overall company success, all while prioritizing developer well-being and fostering a healthy, supportive work environment.
Finally, he talks about assessing developer efficiency as a nuanced topic that goes beyond simple metrics. The episode explores various approaches to evaluate developer performance, emphasizing the importance of focusing on value creation rather than just lines of code written or bugs fixed.
Loved the podcast? Consider subscribing & get weekly Bytes right into your inbox👇
Article of the Week ⭐
⌨️ Should Engineering Managers know how to code?
Roles such as Staff Engineers, Technical Product Managers and Technical Coaches are on the rise. The line between the strategic business C-suite is not only blurring, but also widening with choices that have to be navigated and consolidated into ever-more complex career ladders.
So should you as CTO counteract some of that chaos to remain lean and inspire your managers to tactical prowess?
TL;DR: Yes to knowing programming if they manage a team of engineers, but they won't have time to code. BUT - this is not a good question, the real question is What makes an Engineering Manager successful at my company ? The answer is: clear expectations and career path describing impact and expected outcomes.
Whether it’s your respective role as a CTO or your recent promotion for one of your team members, the gradual separation of management and technical skill is a complex issue if not handled with care.
Gleicon argues that managers who have been promoted from technical roles often experience a transition phase where they feel attached to the activities that made their success and value to the company feel relevant: their coding contributions.
Welcome to groCTO. Every week we publish a curated selection of articles, along with market updates and podcasts on engineering culture. As a curious CTO your inbox is easily cluttered with posts that are irrelevant to you.
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This is not a bad position to come from, as long as this behavior does not cause
Double workloads-doing the work of the entire team
Blocking the team because of the need to be included in coding, despite being a busy manager
Lack of supporting in strategic matters-RFCs, stakeholder management incidents
It is impossible to compare managers between companies. Deal with what is in front of you. Focus on narrowing down the career path transitions and efficacy of your first- and second-level management team on "What makes an Engineering Manager successful at ‘my’ company?”
He generously provides a baseline template (check out the full article) for a Career Ladder in engineering. Hopefully it will help you in exploring this responsibility split and give you a strong starting point if this is your first time.
Harvard Business Review published an article titled "If Your Boss Could Do Your Job, You’re More Likely to Be Happy at Work" that explores surveys about employee happiness and productivity based on being managed by someone that understands what they do.
A humble and respectful work environment goes a long way. To build on the recent hyper-success of NVIDIA Ceo Jensen Huang: “No task is beneath me.”, but at the same time consider what strategic responsibilities you carry and share your vision. The temptation to get distracted is very strong.
Other highlights 👇
📆 Deadlines are not so bad
is guiding us through the gut-wrenching topic of deadlines. In his latest article, fresh from his aptly named newsletter Engineering Leadership he explores positive thought patterns to help you have a better relationship with time, commitment and deadlines.In his experience the top 3 reasons for dreading deadlines are:
Communication. Communication. Communication. So how can you prepare for this? What to do when things go sour for your next roadmap planning?
“I rather have the scope to be variable and time to be fixed.”, Gregor says
It comes down to control and surrender. Surrender of the things we cannot control. And you have to be honest with yourself, you control neither the delivery date nor the scope.
But you can set a deadline gracefully. Focus more on simplifying the solutions and reduce unnecessary complexity (scope is variable, not time).
From his experience as CTO of Zorion he shares his simple framework:
Embrace the deadline
Focus on adjusting the scope and not the time
Focus on good communication, changes should not surprise anyone
Be transparent, favour over-communication, especially remote
Effective deadlines are the ones that we set ourselves for ourselves
Write it down somewhere, hold people accountable and check progress
Remember, you want to reach the timeline sooner, with the right product. Resistance and stubbornness will deliver the wrong product, later.
Sunday Spotlight -Dad Joke🥱
Q: Why do programmers prefer dark mode?
A: Because light attracts bugs!
In our defense, It's much easier on the eyes & being honest, it just looks cooler😎
P.S. Do you have any other puns you'd like to share? Share them in the comment section and let's keep the laughs going! We will try to publish it next week and tag you on our LinkedIn channel.
📱 Web Apps are Native Apps
spoke volumes on PWAs (Progressive web apps) during the Apple vs. EU legal stint a few weeks ago. In his CTO Logic newsletter post he highlights the risks of deploying to managed app stores controlled by big tech, whom you essentially empower toDecide whether and when you can publish your app.
Decide whether and when you can update your app.
Remove your app from the store.
Impose new rules or policies on your company and/or app.
And at a high cost of that. If your business relies solely on app sales, in-app purchases or subscriptions you will be sharing up to 30% of your revenue with the marketplace owner on each device ecosystem.
In his article he makes the case that freshly minted CTOs and mobile businesses should favour a web technology focus when it comes to their mobile strategy by using PWAs.
I have worked with numerous companies that automatically assume that apps made with web technologies cannot be as good as classic native apps, and they make the costly mistake of fragmenting their front-end technology stack.
In 80% of cases, web technologies are a perfect match for what a business needs. When used correctly, browser engines provide a fast user interface layer, and they have APIs that provide much of the hardware integration functionality that was once reserved exclusively for classic native apps.
The article highlights a rich rundown of all the features available to progressive web apps, many capabilities which you probably didn’t know could exist outside natively installed applications.
That’s for Today!
Whether you're hustling with your side projects, catching up with the latest technologies, or simply relaxing & recharging, we hope you have a lovely day.
See you next week, Ciao 👋
Credits 🙏
Curators- Diligently curated by our community members Denis & Kovid
Sponsors- This newsletter is sponsored by Typo AI - Ship reliable software faster.
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Happy Pride to you and your team!