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Ask HN: How can I become a proper Project Manager from a Programmer?

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21–30 of 66 posts

Re: Ask HN: How can I become a proper Project Manager from a Programmer?

#21

I highly recommend to improve your writing skills. You can start from here. http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/mc/WriteThinkLearn.pdf

Thanks, english is not my native language, as a normal family in China the ability to read or write english is learned by myself, I will read and learn what your suggest.

Re: Ask HN: How can I become a proper Project Manager from a Programmer?

#23

i recommend poisoning the current project manager and offering to step in. when you are a manager you cannot afford the luxury of a consciousness so this is a great way to start!

You probably mean conscience, not consciousness, but your word is amusing in a different way.

Re: Ask HN: How can I become a proper Project Manager from a Programmer?

#24
If you'll be managing a technical product and other developers I'd recommend reading 'Managing Humans' by Michael Lopp (aka rands) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Managing-Humans-Humorous-Software-E...

Short chapters so you can read it in chunks, its entertaining and based on his experiences.

Included it in this list of start-up books I wrote ages ago but you've reminded me its worth re-reading - https://medium.com/@KatAlexPas/an-hour-and-a-half-a-day-of-r...

Re: Ask HN: How can I become a proper Project Manager from a Programmer?

#25
Do you mean project manager as in time keeping, planning steps, pipelining operations to avoid roadblocks, and dealing with other teams?

Or, do you mean programming manager? (i.e. less nitty gritty, more design, more delegation, presenting to higher ups)

Re: Ask HN: How can I become a proper Project Manager from a Programmer?

#26
post #19
post #12

The best project managers I've had have identified and removed obstacles for me (including things like - attending mandatory meetings, so the devs don't have to). Other good managers have also reigned in my ideas enough so that we implement what is attainable. Bad project managers have had an obsession with statistics, spreadsheets and tools like Jira. Most project managers I've had have been bad/indifferent, but wit…

Agree with not going overboard with stats and Jira. However being good with these tools to help measure velocity and improve the quality of estimates reduces the pressure on the team when clients plant the seeds of doubt that you've over estimated.

I agree it's possible to go overboard, but I find that a lot of developers don't appreciate how useful it is to have documentation of what the team is doing and visibility (ie numbers) into how time is being spent. A lot of developers hate tracking task in jira or any task tracker, but whenever deadlines start being missed due to roadblocks thrown up by other teams, or ineffective project management, having that all documented can really help resolve toxic situations.

Re: Ask HN: How can I become a proper Project Manager from a Programmer?

#28
post #12

The best project managers I've had have identified and removed obstacles for me (including things like - attending mandatory meetings, so the devs don't have to). Other good managers have also reigned in my ideas enough so that we implement what is attainable. Bad project managers have had an obsession with statistics, spreadsheets and tools like Jira. Most project managers I've had have been bad/indifferent, but wit…

If it can't be measured, it can't be managed.

Remember that your manager is accountable to someone else higher up the chain. They don't know how dev works, but they want to see quantifiable progress. Statistics, spreadsheets, and tools like Jira are how that progress gets communicated. Like it or not, this is an essential part of the business.

Re: Ask HN: How can I become a proper Project Manager from a Programmer?

#29
Project managers and programmers are blood rivals. So firstly, never seek appreciation from your team. If you get some, always be skeptical of these possible sycophants. Secondly, never try to be their buddy - it will never work, and if it seems to, it just means that they are tolerating you. Thirdly, you should use the phrase "good job xyz" ad nauseum (Programmers know that it is BS most of the time but still expect it most of the time). Lastly, learn Excel, especially merging cells and bordering and coloring them..

Re: Ask HN: How can I become a proper Project Manager from a Programmer?

#30
post #15

I'm in a similar position at the moment. Basically what you want to do is ask for more responsibility from your PM, specifically to do work they'd normally do. Over time, that work will become part of your responsibilities. As you gain more confidence from doing those tasks, and as your team begins to recognize you moving away from programming and taking on more leadership, you'll put yourself in a good position to m…

Thanks, I think you are the lucky one. Our company got ~100 emp, but IT dept only got 2 backend(includ me), 1 frontend, 1 android, 2 ios.There is no one I can learn from,so,there is no real world practice or example.This is very common in China, just get things done, we got people.

Ah ok, sorry to hear that. With such a small development team, it sounds like it could be hard to move into management. However, this should also present opportunities: if you see something that needs to be done and no one's dealing with it, do it yourself, accept the responsibility and try and make sure some one notices that you've gone to that effort (or ideally, point out the fact that you're going to do this to whoever you report to).
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