> "what's the role of the future manager?" Personally I've always seen the organizational structure of film and TV units as being a natural model for software

> "what's the role of the future manager?" Personally I've always seen the organizational structure of film and TV units as being a natural model for software development [1]. They've been doing the somewhat-controlled production of fundamentally creative product by small, focused and often-times transient teams for quite some time. And in that model, the current manager type is less like the director [2] and more like a producer. That is: a person who primarily manages logistics and external requirements. e.g. arranging the times to get the necessary people together to review builds and such. keeping statuses up-to-date. keeping an eye on tasks and deadlines. keeping their finger on consultants. etc. [1] Far more natural than the manufacturing model that corporate America is trying to fit things into. [2] I'm sure managers would like to imagine themselves as directors. But they're typically ill-suited due their not understanding the creative nor technical sides.