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10 Ideas From the Best Book on Engineering Management
Learnings from “An Elegant Puzzle: Systems of Engineering Management” by Will Larson
I recently became an engineering manager, and this book had a huge impact on my decision.
What I appreciated most is that Will Larson, the author, is highly opinionated about various management topics. He clarifies a nebulous role through an actionable set of systems.
There are parts of the book that are not super relevant for me yet (like being a manager of managers), but I know I can come back to those parts if/when they become relevant.
#1 — Team Size
Will has a clear formula for what kind of manager you will likely be based on your team size.
- “Balanced” manager— team of 6–8
- “Tech lead” manager — less than 4 reports
- “Coach” manager — greater than 8 reports
With 5 reports, I am not quite in the sweet spot but I find myself closer to the “tech lead” manager role. I prefer that anyways, so I can spend more time coding and be closer to implementation.
The “coach” manager, with more than 8 reports, is at the opposite end of the spectrum. Will believes this team size is unsustainable and spreads the manager too thin.
As I progress in my career, I’ll keep in mind how team size will affect my efficacy as a manager and where I can make the greatest impact.
#2 — Teams Should Both Innovate and Maintain
I love this principle.
Will advocates for a team to own both innovation (creation of net new features) and maintenance (making sure existing systems don’t break).
I have worked at companies that have done the opposite and quickly develop two factions with opposing goals.
With my team, I advocate for extreme ownership of all features we build including maintenance.
#3 — Four States of a Team
Every manager should have this diagram embedded in their brain:
