Should You Continue to Code as an Engineering Manager?

Find out the reason that people stop coding after becoming Engineering Managers

After I became an Engineering Manager, one of the first things I asked my manager was whether I should keep coding.

My manager said: "Sure, if you can."

I didn’t get what he meant. I wanted to stay close technically and stay close to the team.

But after a few weeks, I realized managers don't have time to code 😅. I needed to prioritize other responsibilities most of the time.

In today's post, I'll explore why most managers code less and what they do instead.

Why Don’t Most Managers Code?

Managers have a different measurement of success: it's measured by the team.

The team's success is the manager's success. On the other hand, if the team has insufficient output, it's the manager’s responsibility.

Some examples of managers’ responsibilities:

• Aligning the team with business goals

• Mentoring individuals

• Resolving conflicts

• All the other technical, project, and people management

Imagine a manager who does hands-on coding 100% of the time, then how is that going to help others besides themselves?

Moving…