Engineering manager working in tech. Tweets about tech, politics, business, and the occasional shitpost.
May 7, 2023 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
In Big Tech companies, technical decisions are often more nuanced than many engineers realize and are not always based on pure technical merit. Here's a list of things I've actually seen and had to deal with.
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"Your design is 70% similar to another team's system. Find a way to re-use theirs."
Another team built a similar system. And leaders assume that enhancing it to fit the last 30% will be more efficient than you implementing 100%.
Spoiler alert: Turns out this is not always true.
May 3, 2023 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
The lucky few tech folks who weren't laid off are starting to poke around for new jobs.
Some advice that I've shared with a few of them is to think about their careers like a Role Playing video game.
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In most RPGs, there are two types of quests: the Main Quest and the Side Quests. The Main Quest takes you to the end of the game, but the Side Quests help flesh out the story more, and level up your character for the tougher parts of the Main Quest.
Sep 23, 2022 • 6 tweets • 1 min read
Engineering managers in tech are going through an tough time right now with retention and hiring. A lot of long held rules are being rewritten about things like counter offers.
A quick 🧵 on my observations as a hiring manager.
Hiring freezes are decimating tech recruiting teams. Many are sitting around with only a few roles to fill. Companies doing layoffs are targeting their recruiting teams heavily as well.
This has several effects on retention at the team level.
Jul 9, 2022 • 9 tweets • 2 min read
The vibe in tech has definitely changed in the past few months. Nearly everyone I know is keeping a pulse on the job market with plans to exit their current company within 6-12 months. A quick 🧵 on why this is happening, and what managers should consider doing about it.
First, a lot of folks are finally coming up for air after 2 years of COVID. Their careers might have gone into stasis during this time period and they've been dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety.
A job change may be a good chance to mentally and emotionally reset.
Dec 23, 2021 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
Software engineers around the world are all making moves to improve their compensation across the board. As I approach the end of my second decade in this industry, some thoughts I'd like to share.
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In general, it's great to see pay transparency provide fruitful outcomes for engineers. Salary negotiation feels less one sided and this is great for employees.
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