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The main problem I'm seeing with this kind of topics is this notion that "management" and "coding etc." are on the same vertical. That as an end result of a suc

by sputr 10y ago

The main problem I'm seeing with this kind of topics is this notion that "management" and "coding etc." are on the same vertical. That as an end result of a successful career as a professional is to move into management. Well, that's just bonkers. I used to be a coder. Now I'm in management and I've learned, the hard way, that management is it's own specialty ... and that the best managers don't see them self's as "above" their team, but the "team coordination & external communication" specialist of the team. The only reason for the extra pay is the expectation that a manager take the brunt of the "external" crap (aka. having responsibility for the team) so that the rest of the team don't have to and can keep working. Which means that just as you need knowledge and experience to be a good coder, you need knowledge and experience to be a good manager. I find the notion of going from "best in your field" back to being "the green guy" at the height of your career as utterly crazy. But that's just me.

lanaius 10y ago
My very large company has 5 lanes. Purely technical is at the far right, purely management is at the far left. Our CTOs do not spend the majority of their career in the company in either lane and that seems to have worked out okay. I don't think people are particularly encouraged to stay in the management lane either.
- sokoloff 10y ago
  Interesting. Can you put some descriptive labels around the three "middle" lanes as well? I'm trying to figure out the distinction that would make someone 25% management, 75% technical, vs 50/50
unholiness 10y ago
On the other hand, as a coder, working with a manager with little or no code experience is ineffective and frustrating. Having a manager who can wrap her head around complex architectures, and argue/negotiate for one strategy over the other is extremely important. Yes, so are team skills, but I wouldn't call the the path from coding to manager coders fundamentally flawed.

by sputr 10y ago

lanaius 10y ago

My very large company has 5 lanes. Purely technical is at the far right, purely management is at the far left. Our CTOs do not spend the majority of their career in the company in either lane and that seems to have worked out okay. I don't think people are particularly encouraged to stay in the management lane either.

sokoloff 10y ago
Interesting. Can you put some descriptive labels around the three "middle" lanes as well? I'm trying to figure out the distinction that would make someone 25% management, 75% technical, vs 50/50

unholiness 10y ago

On the other hand, as a coder, working with a manager with little or no code experience is ineffective and frustrating. Having a manager who can wrap her head around complex architectures, and argue/negotiate for one strategy over the other is extremely important. Yes, so are team skills, but I wouldn't call the the path from coding to manager coders fundamentally flawed.