It is not always easy or pleasant to talk about estimates. On the one hand, it’s a fun activity of trying to look far enough into the future. On the other hand, high-level estimates are often taken as a commitment. It gets shared with the bigger org, the sales organization (read customers), and ultimately with the company leadership. High-level estimates in software engineering are preliminary projections of the time, effort, and resources required to complete a software project. These estimates provide a broad overview during the initial planning phase and help stakeholders understand the general scope and feasibility of the project before delving into detailed planning, commitments to customers, and execution. High-level estimates also guide decision-making and resource allocation, setting the foundation for the project’s direction and expectations. ...

The discussion In the previous office of my current company, we had a flex desk policy. People would pick a spot to sit as they came to work (in hybrid WFH and in-office setup). As we learned that an office move was coming up, there were discussions regarding the pros and cons of two approaches to office seating: flex desks and reserved spaces. Both are very different office space arrangements, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. ...

The idea behind delegation is clear: to free up time to focus on other important work while offering your team opportunities for growth and development. It sounds simple, yet, it’s hard to do, and there’s no good (as in, always working) instruction manual to it. In this blog post, I will not try to offer the manual but share some advice heavily inspired by a great book on career development called Rise by Patty Azzarello. ...

Crimediggers is a promotional escape game brought out by the Dutch police. It’s a very high-quality, realistic challenge and generally aimed at recruiting digital specialists for the police’s cybercrime teams. Completing Crimediggers requires previous knowledge in the computer security domain. In this post, I share my path of progressing through the challenges. Solutions to the individual objectives will not be included, where possible, to avoid taking the fun away from other participants. DM me if you need help with any of these, and I’ll be happy to assist. Let’s get started! ...

Explaining the engineering manager role is not a new subject. Nevertheless, the EM function is often defined differently depending on the company, its size, and even the market it operates. In this post, I offer my version of it, in an attempt to provide a new, valuable perspective. Fun fact: this is the first piece on this blog featuring hand-drawn graphics ✏️ Who will find it useful The information in this blog post will be helpful to people who collaborate with Engineering managers at work, willing to learn more about the role. For example, software engineering and recruitment professionals, SaaS sales experts, and individuals interested in becoming an EM. ...

Is this another piece on to-do lists? Yes and no: we will cover the topic of using a to-do list for work, however, from a highly practical standpoint. Thinking about it, the human brain did not evolve to keep track of the jillion things we think about daily, but we still expect it to remember tasks from the three projects at work, home chores, social follow-ups, free time activities, and much more. And let’s not forget we want it all structured and prioritized. ...

In this post, I will discuss conflict in the workplace, its importance for a healthy team, and a few approaches to handling it successfully. If you’d like to jump straight to the practical part, please scroll to “Conflict resolution strategy”. Conflict management is probably not the most exciting element of a manager’s job. Still, it is a big part of it and can not be left “for later”. Conflict buildup is easy to sweep under the rug, yet here are some of the very evident consequences of doing that: ...

Your team is growing, and hiring has to scale proportionally. It’s a great moment to consider adding some power to the team by getting a recruitment professional on board. It is also worth remembering that the recruiter is the face of your company in the talent pool. Often, the recruiter will be the only person candidates will come in contact with. These are all very valid reasons to make sure your new recruiter works for you and truly helps strengthen the team. ...

Onboarding process is a defining moment in how well a new colleague starts their journey in your organisation. Onboarding can be time-consuming and a bit hectic, especially if hiring is happening at a fast pace. Not having an efficient process may also quickly cripple people’s schedules. In my experience, the following practices can bring structure to the onboarding process and give new employees a refreshing, thorough, and professional welcome to their new position. ...