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On Managing Technical Teams as a First-Time Manager: CTO, Engineering, Management | Y Combinator

Target Audience
Engineering ManagerDirector of EngineeringCTO / VP Engineering
Type
Video
Link
https://www.ycombinator.com/library/5S-on-managing-technical-teams-as-a-first-time-manager
Date Added
Nov 17, 2020 10:32 PM
Language
AI summary

New managers must prioritize building strong relationships and effective communication within their teams to overcome the negative perceptions of management in startups. Camille Fournier emphasizes the importance of the first 90 days for new managers, advocating for regular one-on-one meetings to foster trust and transparency. For instance, she highlights common rookie mistakes, such as failing to engage their teams effectively, which can lead to disengagement and poor performance. Key points from the content: - Introductory remarks by Camille Fournier, former CTO of Rent The Runway. - Many individual contributors never experience good management due to pervasive negative management ideologies. - New managers should focus on establishing rapport and understanding their team's dynamics in the first 90 days. - Tips for improving one-on-one meetings to enhance communication. - Common rookie mistakes managers make, such as lack of engagement and poor delegation. - Addressing challenges of remote work and maintaining team cohesion. - Strategies for balancing coding responsibilities with management duties. - Importance of recognizing team members’ contributions and successes. - Discussion on the role of non-engineers in managing engineering teams. - Maintaining technical credibility as a manager while transitioning into leadership. - Distinction between management and leadership roles.

Why it matters for leaders?

This resource is crucial for Engineering Leaders as it addresses common challenges faced by first-time managers, such as building effective one-on-one relationships and fostering team cohesion. An actionable takeaway is to focus on the first 90 days of management to establish a solid foundation for leadership and team dynamics.

Camille Fournier is a Managing Director at Two Sigma and the former CTO of Rent The Runway. She’s also the author of The Manager’s Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change.

You can find her on Twitter @skamille.

Topics

00:00 - Intro

00:35 - Why do many individual contributors (ICs) never experience a good manager?

3:15 - How did the ideology of management being bad become pervasive in startups?

5:15 - What should a new manager do in their first 90 days?

8:45 - Getting better at 1:1s

11:05 - More tips for the first 90 days

13:05 - Remote work

15:00 - Mistakes rookie managers make

19:15 - Letting people go

23:25 - Being a manager and still wanting to write code

27:45 - Feeling overwhelmed as a manager

31:15 - Getting a team to gel

38:30 - Giving people kudos

39:45 - Non-engineers running engineering teams

41:55 - Staying legit technically as a manager

43:15 - Management vs leadership