you manage products, you lead people.
Ask HN: What books or blogs do you suggest to manage a team of techies
11–17 of 17 posts
Re: Ask HN: What books or blogs do you suggest to manage a team of techies
#12Peopleware by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister
I've heard that in the late 80s Microsoft had a policy of handing out copies of Peopleware to every new manager. And then asking them enough questions about it to ensure they actually read it.
Microsoft no longer does this. It shows.
Re: Ask HN: What books or blogs do you suggest to manage a team of techies
#13Rands. At the very least, his blog: http://randsinrepose.com . But, his book - Managing Humans - is great as well: http://www.managinghumans.com .
I read Managing Humans twice, both before starting to manage a team, and after having managed a team for a year. The book was great both times, but the second time, when I had more experience, it was insanely better. Suddenly, everything talked about in the book made sense - I had real-life people and situations straight out of the book, and I could understand exactly what Rands was saying.
My advice - read the book. It's amazingly accurate. Then read it again once you have experience; you'll be able to appreciate it a whole lot more.
Re: Ask HN: What books or blogs do you suggest to manage a team of techies
#14you manage products, you lead people.
You lead -good- people. You manage the rest.
Re: Ask HN: What books or blogs do you suggest to manage a team of techies
#15Christina Wodtke's Blueprints for the web http://amzn.to/cTDimh is about information architecture, but is full of tangential wisdom about managing web teams. I learnt more this book than from other books that are actually about managing teams.
Re: Ask HN: What books or blogs do you suggest to manage a team of techies
#16Re: Ask HN: What books or blogs do you suggest to manage a team of techies
#17Gerald Weinberg's The Psychology of Computer Programming is a classic, well worth reading. Also second the recommendations for The Mythical Man Month and Peopleware
His Becoming a Technical Leader (http://www.dorsethouse.com/books/btl.html) is directly addressed at this issue.
I think its good, but it's been so long since I was at this stage and read it (late '80s) I'm not 100% sure.
That said, I've not regretted one bit reading every apropos book Weinberg had written through the '90s (which is about when I stopped reading these sorts of books).