After fifteen years leading engineering teams, I’ve learned that the most challenging and arguably most important hiring decisions happen when you need to build capabilities in areas where you lack deep technical expertise. Whether it’s expanding into machine learning, blockchain, mobile development, or emerging frameworks, every engineering leader eventually faces this challenge.
Continue ReadingAn “open door policy” is a staple of leadership vocabulary. Most leaders say they have one. Most employees know the phrase. But in practice, the efficacy and impact of that policy are far more nuanced than the phrase suggests.
Over the years leading engineering organizations of different sizes, I’ve seen the open door policy work beautifully. I’ve also seen it fall flat. The difference isn’t about whether the door is literally open. It’s about trust, clarity, and intent.
Continue ReadingAfter more than a decade leading engineering teams and managing dozens of managers across multiple companies, I’ve learned that managing managers is fundamentally different from managing individual contributors. The leverage is enormous. A great manager can multiply the effectiveness of an entire team. A struggling manager can create cascading problems that take months to resolve.
Continue ReadingWhen I first stepped into the role of Director of Engineering, I had to come to terms with a hard truth: my schedule was no longer that of a “maker.” Between one-on-ones, leadership syncs, planning sessions, and cross-functional meetings, my calendar became fragmented beyond repair. The reality is that, as a director, you cannot rely on having long, uninterrupted blocks of time to write meaningful amounts of production code. And honestly, trying to force it usually results in frustration—for you and for your team.
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