Productivity

In software engineering, we often rely on “exponential back-off” when retrying failed network requests – a technique where each subsequent attempt is spaced out further in time to avoid overloading the system. Oddly enough, I’ve found myself applying a similar concept to human communication. As an Engineering lead, I’m frequently on the receiving end of an unrelenting stream of requests: A Slack ping about a pressing issue A pull request to review A CV from a recruiter Another CV for a completely different role A message from customer support about an urgent user complaint An escalation from the Security team A calendar invite A last-moment meeting reschedule A quick question (this one’s my favorite) All of this happens while I’m trying to carve out focused time to work on broader goals: improving team processes, ensuring teams have clear direction, and writing progress reports or strategic documentation. Even with AI-assisted tools, writing takes time – because effective communication requires tailoring the message to its audience. Tone matters. Clarity matters. Accuracy matters. ...

Remember when a five‑digit Stack Overflow score was a flex? Today that, and a vintage 2022 playbook will buy you precisely zero leverage. Yesterday’s job, tomorrow’s irrelevance Many Engineering managers still run on three rituals: Status ✨astrology✨ or endless forecasting of ticket constellations. Hours massaging burndown charts, Jira dashboards, stand‑up forecasts – cargo‑cult evidence that the sprint is “on track”. Stakeholder appeasement management: slide decks, project reviews, “quick syncs” to keep exec egos fed and legal teams comfy. People babysitting – counting story points, asking to update Jira, tolerance checks for burnout, sniffing out AI-powered overemployment. By the way, did you know of r/overemployed? However, none of those moves the product faster. Meanwhile, AI agents are quietly doing code reviews, generating boilerplate, even writing RFCs. The org chart hasn’t noticed – yet. ...

In a previous post, I looked at managing time effectively as an Engineering manager, drawing from Aviv Ben-Yosef’s insightful book, The Tech Executive Operating System. Today, let’s explore another valuable lesson from this book: how to recognize and handle impostor syndrome in the moments when it affects us most. We’re all familiar with IS − the nagging self-doubt that makes us feel undeserving of our achievements. Less than. The pervasive worry that others will “find out” we aren’t as competent as we seem. ...

I recently attempted to write a blog post exploring how our human memory is limited and how easily things slip between the cracks when life gets overwhelming. The original draft was around 2,300 words – painstakingly researched, peppered with references to scientific studies, and teetering into “academic essay” territory. It ended up so dense and dry that it felt more like a term paper than a friendly blog post. So, after wrestling with it for a week, I did the unthinkable: trashed all of it and decided to start fresh! ...

Every Engineering manager knows the feeling: you wake up already juggling a thousand thoughts, your calendar is a battlefield, and Slack notifications seem endless. It’s a chaotic yet rewarding role, one where the pressure to deliver is only rivaled by the satisfaction of seeing your team succeed. In 2024, my days as an Engineering manager (EM) were a constant balancing act. I want to share what those days looked like, the challenges I faced, and how I’ve since discovered a helpful framework for managing time better in Aviv Ben-Yosef’s “The Tech Executive Operating System” book. ...

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. ...

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. ...