I usually stick with this approach: * Two sit-downs anually with each team member to figure out long term and short term goals. * Fridays are for fun, almost

I usually stick with this approach: * Two sit-downs anually with each team member to figure out long term and short term goals. * Fridays are for fun, almost as mini-hackathons, if the calendar allows for it; use it to get rid of technical debt, try something new etc. * 3-4 hackathons, each 3 days long, each year. * Conference budget per team member of their choice. Should allow for at least one conference anywhere in the world per year. * Don't micro-manage; engineers are best when they are allowed a lot of freedom. * Work from anywhere, anytime, but try to keep a core schedule from 9 to 15.