The Transition
The Transition (Engineer ⇄ Manager)
The move from engineer to manager isn’t a promotion so much as a career change — your output stops being code and starts being the team’s. This section is about that identity shift: deciding whether to make the move at all, surviving your first 90 days, the mindset changes (and impostor moments) that come with them, and knowing that the door back to IC stays open.
In this section
Should you make the move? 🚧 ExpandingHow to decide whether engineering management is the right path for you, and the real trade-offs of swapping code for people.
The Engineer/Manager Pendulum 🚧 ExpandingCharity Majors' idea that you can swing between individual-contributor and management roles across a career — and that both directions are legitimate.
Your First 90 Days 🚧 ExpandingListening, building trust, and resisting the urge to prove yourself by changing everything in your first three months as a manager.
Mindset Shifts & Imposter Syndrome 🚧 ExpandingThe identity shift from being the expert to enabling others, and how to handle the impostor moments that come with leading.
Going Back to IC: The Swing Back 🚧 ExpandingReturning to an individual-contributor role is a valid, healthy career move — not a failure or a step down.