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I'd agree if the team has no senior engineers, or in which the senior engineers are not adept at finding and communicating the issues you note, that the EM shou

by sidlls 9y ago

I'd agree if the team has no senior engineers, or in which the senior engineers are not adept at finding and communicating the issues you note, that the EM should fill in the gaps. I'd be skeptical of the long term viability of such a team. What you describe is more properly the purview of a Lead/Principal Engineer, in my opinion. The people in those roles should be able to communicate the technical issues to the EM, and the EM should have the technical chops to understand it (and the code). She shouldn't be hip-deep in builds and coding, and shouldn't need to be. That's not to say no coding should be done by the EM, but it shouldn't be "impactful" in the same way an IC's coding activities should be.

sytelus 9y ago
I disagree and this is exactly the reason there is often so much dissatisfaction in the team with role of EM and consequently the rise of movement for "management-less organization". Why do you need bunch of MBA types just moving around from meetings to meetings and having no interest in how sausage is made while claiming to run the sausage factory. Delegating core technical responsibilities to some senior or principal is typical escape hatch adopted by such EMs. Such EMs are typically lacking monumental level of technical skills and delude themselves that somehow magical ill-defined "management" skills plugs those holes. The fact is that such EMs are not qualified to do pretty much any other duties such as hiring or firing except for making pretty Powerpoints to other higher up EMs who are exactly like them. In my opinion, non-technical management chains with views like above are precisely the reason why so many software companies are just B or C grade.
- sidlls 9y ago
  It's interesting you perceive that I am describing an MBA type and ignored the closing thought in my comment. By the way, I was just last week promoted from Lead Engineer to EM. I am, as you say, qualified to hire, fire, design and code. I think you're too dismissive of key aspects of running a business. Coding isn't everything. It's not even the most important thing.

by sidlls 9y ago

sytelus 9y ago

I disagree and this is exactly the reason there is often so much dissatisfaction in the team with role of EM and consequently the rise of movement for "management-less organization". Why do you need bunch of MBA types just moving around from meetings to meetings and having no interest in how sausage is made while claiming to run the sausage factory. Delegating core technical responsibilities to some senior or principal is typical escape hatch adopted by such EMs. Such EMs are typically lacking monumental level of technical skills and delude themselves that somehow magical ill-defined "management" skills plugs those holes. The fact is that such EMs are not qualified to do pretty much any other duties such as hiring or firing except for making pretty Powerpoints to other higher up EMs who are exactly like them. In my opinion, non-technical management chains with views like above are precisely the reason why so many software companies are just B or C grade.

sidlls 9y ago
It's interesting you perceive that I am describing an MBA type and ignored the closing thought in my comment. By the way, I was just last week promoted from Lead Engineer to EM. I am, as you say, qualified to hire, fire, design and code. I think you're too dismissive of key aspects of running a business. Coding isn't everything. It's not even the most important thing.