S1E2: "Software engineering is like a character-building video game" with Nick Means

Software engineering leadership is about creating space for autonomy and letting teams self-organize, while providing coaching and guidance rather than direct control

One-on-one meetings are critical for engineering managers - they’re an essential coaching tool that helps develop people and shouldn’t be considered optional

When hiring, focus more on behavioral interviewing and looking for autonomy, grit, and curiosity rather than technical puzzles or algorithm challenges

Storytelling is a crucial skill for engineering leaders to help teams understand product vision, customer needs, and organizational direction

Creating psychological safety and treating “failures” as learning opportunities is essential for building high-performing engineering teams

Technical skills that come easily to engineers can be “superpowers” - help team members recognize and leverage their natural capabilities

In startup environments, leaders need to balance wearing many hats while gradually working themselves out of hands-on roles to focus on higher leverage activities

Building autonomous engineering cultures requires giving people space to experiment, take on leadership opportunities, and make (safe) mistakes

AI/ML initiatives require different skill sets than traditional software - focus on data expertise, QA approaches, and cost management

The best managers provide trust and autonomy while remaining available for guidance and support when needed