The Retrospective

<p>Should Engineering Managers Code?</p> <p>In this episode, we explore different perspectives, considering both current job market trends and organizational needs. We emphasize the advantages of managers being technical, covering scenarios where coding might be beneficial or detrimental. We outline the main areas engineering managers should focus on: execution, team health, and individual development. Towards the end, we touch on the concept of career pendulums between management and coding roles, and share insights from Git Guardian’s approach to balancing manager duties with coding. We conclude by acknowledging the complexities and advocating for context-aware, principle-driven decisions.</p> <footer><p>Share your thoughts about the episode (and the podcast) at <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>!</p> </footer>

<p>Effective Delegation Using Task Relevant Maturity</p> <p>In this episode of the Retrospective podcast, Jeremy and Peter kick off the third season by discussing the concept of task relevant maturity in engineering leadership. They explore the common challenges new managers face, such as micromanagement and hands-off leadership. Jeremy introduces the idea from Andy Grove’s book ‘High Output Management,’ emphasizing the need to adjust management styles based on the maturity of a person and the task at hand. They delve into how to assess an individual’s maturity, the benefits of pairing team members, and the importance of maintaining a balance between autonomy and oversight. They also provide actionable insights on how to help team members grow and how to use task relevant maturity to improve overall team performance.</p> <p>00:00 Introduction to Season Three</p> <p>00:38 Understanding Task Relevant Maturity</p> <p>00:56 Challenges Faced by New Managers</p> <p>03:05 Framework for Assessing Task Relevant Maturity</p> <p>10:51 High Task Relevant Maturity</p> <p>26:21 Balancing Critical Projects and Personal Growth</p> <p>30:22 Conclusion and Resources</p> <p>Links from the episode:</p> <ul> <li><strong>High Output Management</strong> by Andy Grove - The original source of Task-Relevant Maturity</li> <li><a href="https://getlighthouse.com/blog/management-concept/"><strong>The Most Important Management Concept You’re Missing: Task Relevant Maturity</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://getlighthouse.com/blog/task-relevant-maturity-good-leaders/"><strong>The Most Important Aspect of Task Relevant Maturity Many Leaders Forget</strong></a></li> <li><strong>The Manager’s Path</strong> by Camille Fournier - Builds on TRM concepts for engineering leadership</li> </ul> <footer><p>Share your thoughts about the episode (and the podcast) at <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>!</p> </footer>

<p>In this episode of the ‘Retrospective’ podcast, we discuss the importance of taking breaks of various lengths to maintain energy, resilience, and mental health. We explain the concepts of macro breaks (e.g., vacations), meso breaks (e.g., long lunches, proper day-closing rituals), and micro breaks (e.g., standing up, brief stretches). We share actionable tips on planning and executing these breaks, emphasizing the need to disconnect truly during vacations, the benefits of time-blocking in your calendar, and using tools like Pomodoro for maximizing productivity. The episode also touches on the physical and mental health benefits of these practices and briefly mentions team-based breaks.</p> <p><strong>Timeline</strong></p> <p>00:00 Introduction</p> <p>00:30 The Importance of Taking Breaks</p> <p>01:16 Burnout in Middle Management</p> <p>03:42 Types of Breaks: Macro, Meso, and Micro</p> <p>05:11 Planning and Executing Effective Vacations</p> <p>11:14 Incorporating Meso Breaks into Your Day</p> <p>18:57 The Power of Micro Breaks</p> <p>27:01 Conclusion and Season Wrap-Up</p> <p><strong>Links from the episode</strong></p> <ul> <li>Engineering Managers at risk of burnout in <a href="https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/p/the-pulse-118">The Pragmatic Engineer</a> and <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/2025-set-bring-manager-crash-090000034.html">Fortune</a>.</li> <li>Study: <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9432722/">A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of micro-breaks for increasing well-being and performance</a>.</li> <li>Study: <a href="https://desktime.com/blog/52-17-updated">Does the 52-17 rule really hold up?</a> </li> </ul> <footer><p>Share your thoughts about the episode (and the podcast) at <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>!</p> </footer>

<p>In this episode, we explore a challenge that plagues every engineering team: the constant stream of interruptions that disrupt our workflows. Drawing from our combined experiences working with dozens of engineering teams, we introduce the concept of the “firefighter” role - a structured approach to managing unplanned work that’s transformed how teams handle interruptions.</p> <p>We dive into the science behind context switching, examine why solutions often fail, and explore a practical framework that turns interruptions from productivity killers into opportunities for systematic improvement.</p> <p>Key topics we cover:</p> <ul> <li>The true cost of context switching in engineering teams</li> <li>Why common interrupt-handling approaches break down</li> <li>How to implement and rotate the firefighter role</li> <li>Turning interruptions into systematic improvements</li> <li>Measuring success and avoiding common pitfalls</li> </ul> <p>Show Notes:</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/boldstart-ventures/how-engineering-teams-handle-unplanned-work-d90415ff0d81">How engineering teams handle unplanned work</a> - this article captured my thoughts exactly and includes some really good visualisations of the different approaches.</p> <p><a href="https://ics.uci.edu/~gmark/chi08-mark.pdf">The Cost of Interrupted Work: More Speed and Stress</a> - UC Irvine study</p> <p>And a <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/944128/worker-interrupted-cost-task-switching">FastCompany article</a> about the study.</p> <footer><p>Share your thoughts about the episode (and the podcast) at <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>!</p> </footer>

<p>In this episode, we discuss the topic of technical dept. We start with the basic definition, then share techniques about measuring, arguing about and addressing tech debt. A key concept is connecting the issues of technical dept to business goals, to show the concrete pain it causes to organizations. We also discuss prioritization tips and various good and bad examples we saw in our experience.</p> <footer><p>Share your thoughts about the episode (and the podcast) at <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>!</p> </footer>