So you want to be a Manager - Part 3: The bad and the ugly

What makes engineering management a really tough job

Engineering management (EM) is a road often riddled with potholes, a journey where the terrain is as unpredictable as the evolution of technology itself.

The belief that management is an easier job compared to being an individual contributor (IC) can’t be further from the truth. The focus of this article is to dismantle this belief by presenting some of the most challenging aspects of being a manager.

If you’re at a crossroads where you have the opportunity of becoming an EM, it's important to really understand what you’re signing up for and know it's not always all good things. The hard parts are worth it, but that does not make them any less hard.

If you’re not interested in becoming an EM, this article is still valuable to help you build empathy toward this role. Managers usually get blamed for everything that goes wrong, and this article will explain why they deserve more understanding.

This article is the third in a 5-part series on transitioning from individual contributor to engineering manager. For more context, if you haven’t read it already, start with Part 1 and Part 2 (optional). If you’re enjoying this series, make sure to subscribe to receive the newest articles, as they get released, straight into your inbox.

So you want to be a Manager - Part 1: Are you sure?

So you want to be a Manager - Part 2: Debunking the myths

With that said, let's dive into what makes engineering management so difficult.