Think Like a Software Engineering Manager

Unlock your full potential as an effective, efficient, and inspiring leader, and be the software engineering manager that your team deserves! Most development teams are only as good as their leader. In this practical guide, you’ll explore all aspects of the software engineering manager’s job, from operational practices to the core skills of handling humans. Think Like a Software Engineering Manager is full of all the skills you’ll need to thrive in software leadership, including: People and performance management Empathy and feedback Delegation and learning to let go Hiring amazing engineers and handling attrition Collaborating with cross-functional partners Managing expectations at all levels Implementing engineering and operational excellence Time and organizational change management Experienced team leader Akanksha Gupta helps you explore whether software engineering management is the right move for your career, guides you through preparing for the position, and gives you all the tools you need to thrive in the role. Thought-provoking exercises help you apply what you learn to your daily professional life, and prepare you for making the big decisions about software. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the technology A software engineering manager needs to be an amazing communicator, an effective decision maker, and a thoughtful mentor. Your success depends on your ability to evaluate and manage projects, motivate and lead your team, and coolly handle whatever crisis each new day brings. It’s a big transition, and this book will guide you every step of the way. About the book Think Like a Software Engineering Manager teaches you how to hire, train, and lead a successful development team. You’ll start with building and managing your team to maximize performance. You’ll then quickly progress to strategies for delivering large scale projects, cultivating excellence in your projects, and managing change. Author Akanksha Gupta’s battle stories and industry anecdotes from her work at Amazon, Audible, Robinhood, and Microsoft reveal how the experts handle the biggest engineering management challenges. What's inside People and performance management Hiring amazing engineers and handling attrition Collaborating with cross-functional partners Practice for success with insightful exercises About the reader For new and aspiring software engineering managers. About the author Akanksha Gupta is an engineering leader at Amazon AWS. She has served as an engineering manager at Robinhood, Audible, and Microsoft and passionately champions the cause of empowering women within the tech industry. The technical editor on this book was Bruce Bergman . Table of Contents PART 1 1 Exploring the engineering manager role 2 Individual contributor to engineering manager 3 Managing people, teams, and yourself 4 Managing performance 5 Delegation: Learn to let go 6 Rewards and recognition 7 Hiring 8 Handling attrition PART 2 9 Working with cross-functional partners 10 Project management, execution, and delivery 11 Managing expectations PART 3 12 Engineering and operational excellence 13 Organizational change management 14 Time management 15 Beyond this book: Grow yourself Unlock your full potential as an effective, efficient, and inspiring leader, and be the software engineering manager that your team deserves! Think Like a Software Engineering Manager is full of all the skills youll need to thrive in software leadership, Most dev teams are only as good as their leader. Think Like a Software Engineering Manager teaches you the skills you need to hire, train, and lead a successful software development team. In this practical guide, youll explore all aspects of the Software Engineering managers job, from operational practices along the software development lifecycle to the core skills of handling humans. Experienced team leader Akansha Gupta provides a well-tested framework that can help you handle almost any quandary or crisis, along with interesting and revelatory stories about her experience as an engineering manager. About the technology A superb software engineering manager needs to wear many amazing communicator, effective decision maker, thoughtful mentor, and, of course, technical expert. This book helps you build your strengths and shore up your weaknesses so you can lead a productive team that consistently delivers quality software. About the book Think Like a Software Engineering Manager covers the three pillars of software leadership people, product, and process. Youll start with the core concepts of employee management, including handling performance, effective hiring, and when you need to delegate. Youll quickly progress to the secrets of delivering large scale projects, implementing DevOps, and managing changeeverything you need to lead like a pro. Anecdotes and stories from experts in industry give you insider knowledge you wont find anywhere else. Plus, exercises at the end of each chapter help solidify your understanding and prepare you for success in the role. About the reader For anyone interested in leading software teams, from engineers and project/product managers considering a career move to experienced EMs looking to grow and improve. About the author Akanksha Gupta is an experienced Engineering Manager currently leading full stack teams with Amazon AWS. Prior to AWS, she has worked for Robinhood, Audible, and Microsoft. She is an Amazon Bar Raiser, helping with hiring initiatives and calibration of potential candidates, and has been a mentor to early and mid-career developers, and is a huge advocate of Women in Tech.