- I've been a manager for 10 years -- can I go back? how?
- our principal engineers are all toxic and block progress
- I want to be a manager but keep being passed over -- how can I get a shot?
- am I ready to lead a team?
- how can I convince my org that management is not a promotion but a change of career, or find a company who believes that?
- how do I transform an engineering culture to emphasize ownership?
- what motivates people?
At the end, each table presents their takeaways or most interesting points.
Why? As a senior person in tech, you're past the easy answers. As Tolstoy said, every manager and senior engineer are unhappy in their own unique way.
You find them by thinking critically, digging deep within yourself, interrogating and reformulating the questions, caring a little too much...
I have never really been a fan of mentorship, or any hierarchy really. Why prescribe in advance which direction the help must flow? Just meet good people, make good friends, and learn from each other's stories.