Around two years ago, in 2022, I embarked on my Engineering Leadership journey at Bazaar Technologies. Surrounded by talented minds, we are a young and passionate team, navigating the transition from startup to scale-up. We juggle various assignments and learn on the fly, evolving from Software Developers to Engineering Managers and Engineering Leaders.
In this dynamic environment, I realized that aspiring Engineering Leaders often feel overwhelmed by the transitions—from Project to Team to Organization. Despite a lot of information available online, there was no cohesive framework for Engineering Leadership. Fortunately, in the past year (from 2023 onwards), many experienced leaders have started sharing their insights through blogs and newsletters, fostering communities like "CTOCraft" and "TheLeadDev."
Feeling the need to contribute, I decided to create a simple roadmap that captures the essence of an Engineering Leader's responsibilities. Acknowledging that it might not cover everything and includes some basics, I share this roadmap to provide a holistic perspective on the journey that might unfold.
In the upcoming blog posts, I'll delve into each area, offering details, tools, blogs, books, communities, and Notion templates. Feel free to reach out for any discussions.
Core
✏️ Fundamentals
- 🧿 Setting up a Vision & Mission
- 💯 Define Core Values
- 📜 Craft an Engineering Manifesto
❤️ Leadership Skills
- 🤗 Emotional Intelligence
- 💡 Creativity
- 🤝 Adaptability
- 🏃 Persistence
- ⭐ Influence
- 💯 Integrity
- 🗣️ Communication Skills
People
🧑🤝🧑 Talent Management
- ✉️ Manage Vacancies / Jobs
- 🤙 Oversee Recruitment (Screening, Interviewing, Compensation, Offer)
- 🎀 Facilitate Onboarding (First day, First week)
- 🚪 Handle Offboarding
- 🙂 Focus on Retention
- 👫 Promote Diversity and Inclusion
🪴 Growth
- ♾️ Establish Continuous Feedback (1:1 Meetings, Instant Feedback)
- 🛤️ Implement a Career Progression Framework
- ♟️ Foster Special Interest Groups
- 📖 Facilitate Knowledge Sharing / Training Sessions
- 🎓 Encourage Certifications
- 💲 Allocate a Learning Budget
- 🧑🏫 Initiate Mentorship Programs
📊 Performance Management
- 🪜 Navigate Promotions
- 💰 Manage Appraisals / Compensation
- 📊 Track Performance Metrics
Organisation
🗞️ Policies
- 🏡 Define Remote Work Policies
- 🧑💻 Provide IT Help (Devices, Internet, Software Installation, etc)
- 🌴 Streamline Leaves Process
🎯 Technical Strategy
- 💲 Control Costs
- 🔐 Ensure Data Privacy
- 🔑 Manage Passwords
- 📓 Organize Workspace / Documentation
- 🛠️ Tools Selection
- ⚖️ Ensure Compliance & Regulations
- ™️ Cultivate Tech Branding
- 💡 Foster Innovation
💬 Communication & Collaboration
- 🤝 Facilitate Effective Meetings
- ✌️ Balance Sync and Async Communication
- 🕛 Establish Team Sync Hours
- 🔧 Optimize Slack Usage (status updates, integrations, channel management, etc)
- 🏡 Promote Remote Friendliness
- 🤝 Implement Various Ways of Work (for different teams)
- 🥊 Resolve Conflicts
Engineering
🧠 Strategy
- 📄 Create Design Documents / RFCs
- 📔 Maintain Architecture Decision Records
- 💻 Leverage Open Source Software
- 📰 Establish Engineering Standards / Guidelines
- 🎯 Set OKRs / Goals / Projects
- ⛰️ Assess Risks
- 🛠️ Stay Updated on Emerging Technologies
⚙️ Processes
- 🔄 Agile Methodology
- 💻 Software Development
- ❤️🩹 Software Maintenance / Support
- 🦺 Incident Management
- 📞 Manage On-Call Procedures
- 🧯 Plan for Disaster Recovery
🔃 Life Cycle
- 🖼️ Design
- 🧑💻 Develop
- 💪 Build / Integrate
- 🧪 Test
- 🚚 Deploy
- 🧠 Maintain
- 🔃 Collect Feedback
- 🏧 Automate
⏳ Project Management
- 🔙 Backlog
- ☑️ Tasks Management
- 👨✈️ Planning
- 📖 Retrospectives
- 🧪 Review Processes
- 🔄 Implement Scrum or Kanban Practices
🥷 Domains
- ⚙️ Backend
- 💻 Web
- 📱 Mobile
- 🛡️ Prioritize Security
- 🌱 Embrace DevOps / Platform
- 📊 Explore Big Data
- 🧠 Data Science / AI / ML
Team
🤝 Culture
- 🚺 Diversity and Inclusion
- 💗 Build Trust
- 🙇♂️ Foster Respect
- ✒️ Encourage Accountability
- 💯 Instill Ownership
- 💡 Innovation
👥 Management
- 👥 Teams Formation
- 💲 Manage Team Budgets
- 💬 Communication methods among Teams
- 🎢 Organize Team Activities
Given the close relationship between Engineering Leadership, Product Teams, and Business Teams, it's vital to outline key areas in Product and Business where Engineering actively collaborates, participates, observes, and contributes.
Product
🚀 Product Strategy
- 🧿 Understand Product Vision
- 🛤️ Collaborate in Product Roadmaps
- 💡 Innovation in Product Development
- 📈 Align Product Goals with Business Objectives
⚙️ Product Development Processes
- 🤝 Collaborate with Cross-functional Teams
- 📊 Product Metrics and KPIs
🛠️ Tools for Product Management
- 🧰 Learn Product Management Tools
- 📊 Utilize Analytics and Monitoring Tools
🔄 Iterative Improvement
- 📈 Continuous Product Iteration
- 🔄 Feedback Loops in Product Development
- 📆 Regular Product Reviews and Retrospectives
Business
💼 Business Alignment
- 🔄 Align Engineering Goals with Business Strategy
- 📊 Understand Market Trends and Customer Needs
- 🤝 Collaborate with Business Leaders for Decision-Making
💸 Cost Management
- 🔄 Cost-Benefit Analysis for Technology Investments
- 📈 Control Engineering Costs in Alignment with Business Goals
🌐 Market Expansion
- 🌍 Explore Opportunities for Market Expansion
- 🚀 Leverage Technology for Business Growth
📊 Business Metrics
- 📈 Monitor Key Business Metrics
- 🔄 Align Technology Initiatives with Business Metrics
- 💡 Data-Driven Decision Making
🤝 Stakeholder Management
- 👥 Engage with Key Stakeholders
- 🔄 Effective Communication with Business Stakeholders
- 🤝 Build and Maintain Strong Business Relationships