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Ask HN: Stuck as a developer for 15 years. How to become a manager?

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Re: Ask HN: Stuck as a developer for 15 years. How to become a manager?

#131

Post by imron »

devnullbrain wrote: post #57
dijit wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this is the core of it. Good managers never feel like they “outrank” you, they make you feel like they operate in a broader context and allow you to do your best work. I am management now, I only took this role because every time I trusted someone else to manage they let me down; but it really is just a different job, its not “superior” and using words like that to describe management is a huge part of the pr…

Can your reports fire you?

Any of them can look for a new job at any time. That’s the reason for the saying: people don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad managers.

Re: Ask HN: Stuck as a developer for 15 years. How to become a manager?

#133

Post by [deleted] »

paxys wrote: post #74

You seem to have some misguided ideas about management that you first need to get rid of. - Management isn't a "next step" for developers but an entirely different career path. You don't naturally progress into it, and no one owes it to you. It takes a whole new skill set and lots of deliberate work to make the switch. - Like any other job title, "manager" isn't handed out based on seniority but skill. If you think i…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Stuck as a developer for 15 years. How to become a manager?

#134

Post by wonderingyogi »

johnatwork wrote: post #66
MontyCarloHall wrote: post #42

Good managers don’t seek out the role for its own sake; they naturally become one. The best managers I’ve seen (and have had the pleasure of working with) were extremely talented ICs who got along really well with others, and naturally transitioned to management roles when their own projects became too big in scope to handle on their own. The absolute worst managers I’ve seen (thankfully, none were my manager) only b…

I think the best thing to do is to pay managers less than developers and also disqualify anyone who demands to be a manager, that removes all the folks doing it for the wrong incentives. I know of a few managers that hate being a manager, and are not the best at it but they've done so because they needed the money.

That's one part. I think another part is that the power dynamics need to change. Managers should be servant leaders. Instead, I see so many managers abuse their power to enrich their own position.

Re: Ask HN: Stuck as a developer for 15 years. How to become a manager?

#135

Post by Blackstrat »

Why did you become a developer? Why do you want to be a manager? Why do you object to working for someone younger? Do you object to working for women? What about people from other countries? And if you become a manager and one of your younger reports is promoted to a higher position than you? All of these things can and will happen. As a retired manager, who had managers far younger than some of their staff members, and developers with 40+ years of experience, I have some trouble relating to your perspective.
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