S1E5 Rafe Colburn on the unique engineering culture at Etsy and building bridges with product

Engineering management is more about acquiring and discarding skills as needed rather than developing deep specialization in one area

Technology choices are often less important than initially thought - focus should be on execution and delivery rather than debating tech stack decisions

Building trust between product and engineering teams is crucial - product managers need to set clear goals while giving engineers autonomy in implementation

Diversity in engineering teams leads to better communication styles and improved team dynamics overall

Good engineering managers should focus on coaching and empowering teams rather than just telling people what to do

Being transparent about difficult decisions (promotions, salary, etc.) early helps reduce disappointment and builds trust

Engineering managers need to get comfortable with the fact that disappointing people is sometimes part of the job

Setting clear goals and measuring progress while giving teams autonomy in execution is more effective than micromanaging

Regular transparent communication about career growth and expectations helps prevent surprises during promotion cycles

The shift from IC to management requires developing new skills around coaching, delegation and strategic thinking versus tactical problem solving