Managing software engineers

  • Attracting and retaining engineering talent (or any talent)
    • Have something you want to accomplish.
      • Have both a product roadmap and a technical roadmap.
        • Know both what you want to accomplish and how you might accomplish it.
        • No need to be too detailed. Principles should suffice.
        • Product roadmap satisfies the desire to have an impact.
        • Technical roadmap satisfies the desire of mastery.
    • State them concisely.
    • Find people who want to accomplish the same thing.
      • Find people who want to “move” in the same “direction”.
    • Talents leave you when their goals and your goals no longer coincide. Either they change, you change, or both.
  • If there is a shortage of software engineers, then you can only hire fresh graduates and train them in house.
    • You want trainable people.
      • High IQ is a must, but not enough.
      • You also want agreeable people, but not yes-men.
      • People are like chemicals. Some form bonds with some. Some explode when mixed. Some are inert. Some are toxic.
  • What does a software engineering manager do?
  • Why do we need software engineering managers?
    • Because Page & Brin tried otherwise with Google in 2002.
      • “And as the company grew, the founders soon realized that managers contributed in many other, important ways—for instance, by communicating strategy, helping employees prioritize projects, facilitating collaboration, supporting career development, and ensuring that processes and systems aligned with company goals.” (HBR)
    • Google then carried out Project Oxygen.
  • Amazon jobs came down to 3 questions, according to 1998 Bezos letter - INSIDER
  • Software engineering career?
    • recruiters?
    • agencies?
      • persuasions
        • https://www.fastcompany.com/3008194/top-programmers-are-getting-agents-should-you
        • https://www.infoworld.com/article/2886735/it-careers/should-you-hire-a-software-developer-talent-agent.html
      • cynics
        • http://valleywag.gawker.com/talent-agents-for-programmers-cant-wait-to-take-their-1-1660224273
      • ungrouped
        • https://www.quora.com/Is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-talent-agent-agency-for-software-engineers
        • http://blog.alinelerner.com/why-talent-agents-for-engineers-dont-exist/
        • http://wisecareers.com/articles/information-technology/talent-agents-representing-computer-programmers
        • https://www.businessinsider.com/big-name-talent-agency-that-represents-coding-rock-stars-2014-11/?IR=T
        • https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/11/24/programmers-price
        • https://freelancing.stackexchange.com/questions/6551/finding-talent-agents-for-software-developers
        • https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8617452
    • unions?
      • SE 9481 “Are there any unions for software developers?”
      • https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13564440
      • https://qz.com/916534/silicon-valley-tech-workers-are-talking-about-starting-their-first-union-in-2017-to-resist-trump/
      • https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/06/why-it-workers-should-unionize/240810/
      • https://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/3vuynn/programmers_dont_need_a_union_we_need_a_profession/
      • https://www.quora.com/What-would-happen-if-there-was-a-programmers-union
      • https://techcrunch.com/2013/07/29/why-labor-unions-and-silicon-valley-arent-friends-in-2-charts/

Interviewing software engineers

Interview is spam filter.