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5 Lessons from the Leap: From Developer to Engineering Manager
So, you're thinking of moving from developer into a management role? Or maybe you've already made the jump and now wondering why didn't anyone warn me that my days will be filled with meetings, feedback, and a never-ending Slack/Email inbox? Well... I've been there. I started as a developer, stepped into a tech lead role (aka wearing many hats- scoping requirements, estimating and delegating tasks, mentoring, occasional therapist), and eventually made the move into engineering management. And let me tell you, it's not just a title change. It's a total shift in how you define success, spend your time, and (perhaps most challenging) - how you cope with not shipping code every day. If you’re thinking about making the move (or still getting used to it), here are some hard-earned lessons that I wish someone had shared with me earlier. 1️⃣ Being a Good Developer Won't Make You a Good Manager As a developer, your success is about what you build. You write great code, solve hard problems, and maybe even win a few debates over semicolons. But as a manager, your success is measured differently: It's not about what you do, but what your team(s) accomplishes. Instead of debugging code, you're debugging people and processes. Instead of making every technical decision, you're guiding others to make them. And instead of focusing on your output, your focus becomes removing roadblocks so your team(s) can do their best work. It's no longer about "Look what I built", it's about "Look what my team(s) built".
So, you're thinking of moving from developer into a management role? Or maybe you've already made the jump and now wondering why didn't anyone warn me that my days will be filled with meetings, feedback, and a never-ending Slack/Email inbox?
Well... I've been there.
I started as a developer, stepped into a tech lead role (aka wearing many hats- scoping requirements, estimating and delegating tasks, mentoring, occasional therapist), and eventually made the move into engineering management. And let me tell you, it's not just a title change. It's a total shift in how you define success, spend your time, and (perhaps most challenging) - how you cope with not shipping code every day.
If you’re thinking about making the move (or still getting used to it), here are some hard-earned lessons that I wish someone had shared with me earlier.
1️⃣ Being a Good Developer Won't Make You a Good Manager
As a developer, your success is about what you build. You write great code, solve hard problems, and maybe even win a few debates over semicolons. But as a manager, your success is measured differently: It's not about what you do, but what your team(s) accomplishes.
Instead of debugging code, you're debugging people and processes. Instead of making every technical decision, you're guiding others to make them. And instead of focusing on your output, your focus becomes removing roadblocks so your team(s) can do their best work.
It's no longer about "Look what I built", it's about "Look what my team(s) built".
