Engineering management can look glamorous from the outside — but behind the scenes, it’s often a mix of tough calls, emotional juggling, and constant context switching. In this episode, we’re diving into the hard parts of being an engineering manager — from staying technical and handling conflict, to managing up, balancing expectations, and keeping your own sanity along the way.

06:04: Feeling productive 09:25: Staying technical 10:21: Handling conflicts 18:47: Balancing stakeholder expectations 21:30: Career growth 25:59: Isolation and pressure

In this episode, we explore how to become an effective engineering manager—even without a technical background. We’ll unpack what the role truly entails, how to leverage your strengths in communication, strategy, and people management, and ways to bridge technical gaps with curiosity and trust. Whether you’re transitioning from another field or stepping into your first EM role, this episode will help you lead confidently and earn the respect of your engineering team.

06:52: Why technical expertise is helpful but not essential 11:18: What is the role of an EM? 13:50: Non-technical strengths 17:19: Bridging the technical gap 21:21: Earning respect from engineers 25:02: Learning / Growth strategies 28:48: Impostor syndrome

In this episode, we’ll dig into how managers can balance output, impact, and quality, set meaningful goals, and coach engineers toward growth — not just manage them. We’ll also tackle how to handle underperformance, keep top talent motivated, and build teams that stay engaged without burning out.

02:04 - Why do we measure engineering performance? 03:40 - How to measure engineering performance 11:08 - SMART goals 18:39 - Handling underperformers 27:00 - Motivating and retaining high performers