The Engineer's Guide to Management: Lessons from the First 90 Days
Essential insights for engineers transitioning into management roles, based on years of experience and research.
The Engineer’s Guide to Management: Lessons from the First 90 Days
The transition from engineer to manager is one of the most challenging career moves in tech. You’re essentially changing careers while staying in the same company—trading technical problems for people problems, individual contribution for team leverage.
The Reality of the Transition
Having made this transition myself at Twitter and later at eero, I’ve learned that the first 90 days are absolutely critical. This period sets the foundation for your entire management career and determines whether you’ll thrive or struggle in your new role.
A Structured Approach
In 2016, I shared my framework for this transition in First Round Review. The response was overwhelming—clearly, this was a challenge many engineers faced.
The plan breaks down into three key phases:
Month 1: Listen and Learn
- Conduct one-on-ones with every team member
- Understand existing processes and pain points
- Observe team dynamics without making changes
Month 2: Build Relationships and Quick Wins
- Establish regular communication rhythms
- Address immediate team blockers
- Start making small, meaningful improvements
Month 3: Set Vision and Drive Results
- Articulate clear team goals and expectations
- Implement larger process improvements
- Begin measuring and optimizing team performance
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
The biggest mistake I see new engineering managers make is trying to solve everything immediately. As engineers, we’re trained to identify problems and fix them quickly. But managing people requires patience, empathy, and often letting others find their own solutions.
Another trap is the “technical manager” role—trying to remain an individual contributor while managing. This creates confusion about priorities and prevents you from developing true management skills.
Building Your Management Toolkit
Successful engineering managers develop skills that weren’t part of their engineering education:
- Active listening: Understanding not just what people say, but what they mean
- Conflict resolution: Helping team members work through disagreements constructively
- Performance coaching: Helping individuals grow and improve
- Strategic thinking: Connecting team work to broader business objectives
The Long Game
Management isn’t just about organizing people—it’s about multiplying impact. A great engineering manager can make a team of 8 engineers more effective than 12 individual contributors working in isolation.
The transition is hard, but the impact you can have on people’s careers and the products you build together makes it one of the most rewarding paths in tech.
For the complete 90-day plan and detailed strategies, read my full article at First Round Review.