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 managementEmpathy and feedbackDelegation and learning to let goHiring amazing engineers and handling attritionCollaborating with cross-functional partnersManaging expectations at all levelsImplementing engineering and operational excellenceTime and organizational change managementExperienced 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.About the technologyA 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 bookThink 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 insidePeople and performance managementHiring amazing engineers and handling attritionCollaborating with cross-functional partnersPractice for success with insightful exercisesAbout the readerFor new and aspiring software engineering managers.About the authorAkanksha 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 ContentsPART 11 Exploring the engineering manager role2 Individual contributor to engineering manager3 Managing people, teams, and yourself4 Managing performance5 Delegation: Learn to let go6 Rewards and recognition7 Hiring8 Handling attritionPART 29 Working with cross-functional partners10 Project management, execution, and delivery11 Managing expectationsPART 312 Engineering and operational excellence13 Organizational change management14 Time management15 Beyond this book: Grow yourself