Leadership

Why I Prefer Female Engineers

Preface: This isn’t how it always was. I’ll be honest, I am a 2 part chauvinist, but I am also pragmatic. I also deeply care about the personal and professional outcomes of my team.

Now We Have Engineers

Leadership Checklist for Non-Technical Managers

How do you build software that provides value to both clients, owners and engineers?

This list has started as a list of notes that I kept over the last few years. Yes, this is the abbreviated version of Management For Quality Software.

Executive Leadership

• Bloated and ugly products are born at the top, but a good engineering environment may begin there
• The three ways business leaders can add value is with numbers, numbers, numbers
• Put your name on the product

The Business Requirement

Write a business requirement that reflects specific details about a problem that the business is solving based on market research numbers. A full description is beyond this terse scope.

This started as a list of notes for my boss on how I see the best way to manage technical professionals. I am trying to provide non-technical managers with the resources to direct technical teams in a way that will produce quality software and keep the engineering staff engaged and moving.

How do you build software that provides value to both clients, users, owners and engineers for the years to come?

If I stacked pennies from the ground to the top of the Empire State Bldg, would they all fit into this room?

Firstly dear sir, you do not have that many pennies.

Secondly if you cash it in for large bills then they all fit in your pocket.

It is a question like this that would make me decide alternatively in my career choice. However I see tech managers searching for really “smart” interview questions and white board problems in an attempt to stump the prospective employee. Is the work you do not interesting enough that you are unable to ask a question related to the job? I have also found that blowing these tests off had zero effect in my employability. If they want you they already want you. Kinda like approaching attractive women.