Far too often, developers move into management roles for the wrong reasons and without adequate preparation. The erroneous view that management represents a promotion for developers causes mismatched expectations and undue stress on new managers and their teams. We need to talk about what management really is and why it’s so difficult for developers to succeed. If you’ve ever thought about becoming a manager or are afraid you may one day be forced to, come hear about what it’s really like so you can make an informed decision about where to take your career. As a developer-turned-manager, Jamie has stumbled over enough of the hurdles making the transition to clearly explain why you should 100%, absolutely, categorically, without a doubt not follow the same path he did (unless maybe you should).

1. Developers
Should Not
Become Managers
(unless they should)
Jamie Strachan
Application Development Manager
Info-Tech Research Group @jamiestrachan

2. DEVELOPERS
*
SHOULD
BECOME
NOT
MANAGERS

3. Junior Developer
Senior Developer
Manager

4. What do you love
about being a dev?

5. Intangible
outcomes
Tangible
outcomes

6. Long term
results
Short term
results

7. Manager
schedule
Maker
schedule

8. Lots of people
Few people

9. DEVELOPERS
*
SHOULD NOT
BECOME MANAGERS

10. I am a Developer

11. I am a
person who develops

12. Junior Developer
Senior Developer
Manager

13. People who
develop
People who
manage

14. Why would you want
to be a manager?

15. Growth

16. Challenge

17. Force
multiplier

18. Development can be
good preparation for
management

19. Problem
solving

20. Systems
thinking

21. Empathy

22. Technical
understanding

23. To code or not to code?

24. "Make the change easy
— Kent Beck
(warning: this may be hard),
then make the easy change”

25. How can I make the change easy
so they can make the easy change?

26. How do I know if
management is for me?

27. Learn from
managers

28. Hone your
instincts

29. Find
leadership
opportunities

30. What if management
isn’t for me?

31. Awesome!
Agile Team Lead?
Product Owner?
Teacher?
Evangelist?
Developer?
Tech Lead?

32. Takeaways
1. Manager is not a promotion from Developer
2. You are a person who can grow their skills
3. DO think about your career
4. DON’T limit yourself to Dev → Manager

33. Developers
Should Not
Become Managers
BUT MAYBE YOU SHOULD
@jamiestrachan

34. Resources
Books
• The Manager’s Path, Camille Fournier
• How F*cked Up Is Your Management? Melissa + Jonathon
Nightingale
• Managing Humans, Michael Lopp
Blogs/Newsletters/Articles
• The Co-Pour (https://mfbt.ca/)
• Rands in Repose (http://randsinrepose.com/)
• Elided Branches (http://www.elidedbranches.com/)
• Software Lead Weekly (http://softwareleadweekly.com/)
• A Voight-Kampff Test for Identifying Engineering Managers

35. Resources
Meetups
• #TeamLeadTO (https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Software-Team-Lead-
Meetup/)
Slack Groups
• Rands Leadership Slack (http://randsinrepose.com/welcome-to-rands-
leadership-slack/)
• Engineering Managers Slack (https://engmanagers.github.io/)
Conferences
• The Lead Dev
• Calibrate