2023 is a wrap
The first year as Engineering Manager and Creator
I wrapped up work for 2023 yesterday. My first year as an Engineering Manager is over, and I have two weeks of Christmas time to rest. Thinking back, I realize it was a crazy year!
Today in Code.Lead.Succeed Newsletter: a look back at the last 12 months.
👉 Early days as a manager
👉 Starting as a content creator
👉 The strategy where both work together
Why manager
I've been coding for over 20 years, from freelancing while working in car factories to big corporations.
Contrary to popular belief, I learned from the good and the "bad" experiences I had as an engineer. I learned how to do things well, but it is equally important to know what not to do and when it leans that way. What I learn defines the value of the lesson, not the experience itself.
What makes me ’s problems make me happiest - I find them more fun and complex. Code is simple and stays the same, whereas each person and team is different, keeping it fresh and exciting. There is a parallel to gaming because a long time ago, I realised I couldn't play single-player titles because of the lack of unpredictability that comes from playing with humans.
Technology is fun but becomes predictable after some time. People are the ones who keep things interesting.
Content Creator
I started the year in grief after my relationship went bust after 5 years and numbed myself with fair amounts of alcohol and gaming each day.
After my birthday, I had had enough and decided to build something for myself. I had no idea what I would do or how to do it. I knew that being on social media would be one of the ingredients. I posted my first post on LinkedIn.
I started on the new path without knowing where it would take me. It's a journey of self-discovery, and results come with time. If you want to start, there is no better time than now.
On that journey, I met many amazing people and learned a lot.
Manager and Creator
It’s like having two jobs at any given time - managing during the day and writing in the evenings.
Writing alone made me a better Engineering Manager. I had to learn to express myself and write better. Training that skill dramatically improved how I communicate during office hours.
My day job experience feeds my content in return. I write about what I know, what I have learned, and what I feel can be valuable to the community in their leadership careers. Reading about others' experiences has helped me immensely in becoming a better leader.
By design, I chose a path that would lead to a flywheel effect and incorporate both work and content.
Coach
In the last quarter, I have found alignment - a skill that glues together my career and newly found mission.
I mentored engineers for the last decade, but I realised it ultimately doesn’t work in teaching soft skills. I had heard about coaching before but considered it a more indirect version of mentoring. You can guess the lesson here is I was wrong.
Coaching changed my leadership over the last quarter. I learned that guiding through change produces better results than simply passing on information. Especially in the era of AI, where knowledge is abundant, guidance becomes the top skill to master as a leader.
Because leadership is teaching - helping the people you lead to grow.
What’s next?
Changes are coming to my content and the newsletter.
I lacked focus, and it’s okay. I started without a plan, with a plan to figure it out as I move forward. I feel the time has come when I know what I want to achieve in the following years.
More about that next week, when I’ll let you know what’s coming up in 2024.