Indecision costs more than a reversible decision. Decide, test, then adjust.

Bad manager = vibe coding. Good manager = AI-assisted engineering.

Vibe coding: “I prompted it.” AI-assisted: “I scoped it, reviewed it, and I’m accountable.”

Future-proof skill set: - Own outcomes - Teach well - Write clearly - Align relentlessly Tools change but these compound.

If the job ad lists 12 databases, they want someone who can generalize and learn.

Run this weekly: - What blocked us? - What’s repeatable? - What should be automated?

Velocity comes from fewer dependencies, not more hours.

Stop hoarding knowledge. Share it, name an owner, move on. That’s scaling.

When AI writes code, humans must write constraints.

Hiring signal to send: “I learn fast, raise standards, and make others better.”

Multipliers connect dots: Business goals --> tech choices. No orphaned features.

Your credibility isn’t your stack list. It’s your track record of outcomes.

Better questions beat better tools: - What will break first? - Who needs to know? - What’s the smallest valuable deliverable?

Mentoring isn’t a favor. It’s force multiplication.

Ownership checklist: • Why this now? • What risks first? • Who’s accountable? • What does success look like?

How to raise the bar with kindness: Review code for design, tests, and naming. People follow what you tolerate.

Multipliers create clarity: - Write decision logs - Define what “done” is - Surface every trade-off

Vibe coding is fine for prototypes. For production: security, maintainability, and scalability. Or it doesn’t ship

3 signals you’re a multiplier: 1. You reduce handoffs 2. You write docs others use 3. You raise standards by example

AI-assisted ≠ vibe coding. Keep fundamentals first. Use AI to go faster on the right work, done the right way.

5 manager habits that compound: 1. One decision log 2. Daily public praise 3. Quarterly growth plans 4. Weekly written priorities 5. Fast “no” to protect focus

Your roadmap isn’t a promise. It’s a communication tool that gets better every time reality disagrees.

Kind ≠ soft. Kind = candid + committed to your growth.

If 7 teams build the wrong thing, that’s a leadership issue, not an engineering issue. Learn the business. Aim the effort.

Slow decisions sink momentum. Ship a good decision now, refine with data later.

Trust looks like: • Early risk calls • Unfiltered status • Volunteers for hard work

You can’t own every fire. Build leaders who prevent them.

Build credibility in your teams by: • Helping peers • Owning outcomes • Communicating early • Doing what you promised

3 signals your meetings work: 1. Agenda in the invite 2. Owners + deadlines are captured 3. Decisions written before the next meeting

What it’s like moving from vibe coded app into a well-structured, scalable architecture 😂 Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

Micromanagement is a symptom. The cause is unclear outcomes. Define done and trust will follow.

Velocity isn’t more tickets. Velocity is fewer handoffs, faster feedback, and smaller batches.

Micromanagement fades when “done” is defined: 1. Write the outcome. 2. Name the owner. 3. Agree on the check-in.

Leaders remove ambiguity, blockers, and fear. In that order.

5 phrases that raise safety: 1. You decide. 2. I could be wrong. 2. Show me the draft. 4. Let’s try a small test. 5. Thanks for flagging this.

High standards aren’t pressure. They’re precision: - Clear definitions - Fair expectations - Predictable results

5 questions that unblock teams: 1. What would we cut first? 2. What does “good” look like? 3. Who owns this by end of day? 4. What’s the smallest shippable? 5. What’s the risk we’re not naming?

Your leverage shifts: • 1 team → context & clarity • 3 teams → delegation & coaching • 5+ teams → structure & strategy

3 signals you’re ready for multiple teams: 1. You coach weekly 2. You empower leads 3. You measure outcomes, not effort

3 signals you’re faking certainty: • Vague language • Random fixes • No questions Switch to clarity: logs, metrics, timelines.

Make “ask great questions” your unfair advantage. Clarity beats confidence theater.

3 mistakes I made as a first-time engineering manager: 1. Involved in every detail 2. Doing too much myself 3. Focusing on things I couldn’t control Fix: define outcomes, delegate, narrow scope.

3 senior phrases: • “I’m not sure yet.” • “Let’s explore together.” • “X might know.”

Promote the behaviors you want repeated, in public. Coach the rest, in private.

Two engineers say “I don’t know.” One follows with silence. One follows with a plan. Only one builds credibility.

Conway’s Law in practice: Messy leadership → messy architecture. Clean up communication first.

If you fear looking junior, you’ll stay junior. Trade ego for learning speed.

Interview tip: show your approach. “I’d check A, confirm B, experiment with C.” Reasoning beats recall every single day.

Make “ask great questions” your unfair advantage. Clarity beats confidence theater.

Managers have been vibe coding forever 😂