On Engineering Management

On Leadership

13 Leadership Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Engineering Management ×12

1. “Competence, Caring, Conviction”

2. Think “What,” Not “How”

3. Have a System

4. Focus on the Process

5. Lead by Example

6. Communicate

7. Delegate

8. Trust

9. Be There for Your Team

10. Keep an Eye on Team Health

11. Manage Up

12. Stay Humble

Untrained Engineering Managers

Reduce the Pressure on Young and Inexperienced Developers

Consequences of Unrealistic Expectations

Healthier Hiring

One Approach

Another Look at Productivity and How to Influence It: Ability, Attitude, Tooling

Dis- and Reassembling Productivity

Output

Time

Influencing Productivity

Performance and Stay Questions in 1:1s

The Original “Magnificent Seven Questions”

The Stay Questions “Top Employers Ask”

The Performance and Stay Questions I Currently Ask

Everything Is a Process

Removed Questions

Added Questions

Update (January 14, 2026)

Everyone Can Set You Up for Failure, Not Everyone Sets You Up for Success

A Conscious Choice

5 Tips for Your Next Promotion or Salary Raise

1. Prepare Your Case

2. Use Metrics

3. Avoid Positional Bargaining

4. Give Yourself Time

5. Ask

AI: The Real Problem Engineering Leaders Need to Have a Solution For

We Should Be Concerned, in a Sense of Responsibility for Our Colleagues

The Great Tech and People Hypocrisy

Standards for Hiring Without Standards for Firing

People Are Most Important