Alex Ponomarev

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A boy touching a painting frame in an art museum, which is next to a sign that says "Do not touch".

4 Nov 2024 · 6 min read

How To Set Expectations And Communicate If They’re Not Met

The first step is understanding what makes an expectation reasonable.

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A marshmallow roasting next to a fire.

30 Oct 2024 · 7 min read

6 Simple Strategies To Make Conflict Work For You (And Your Team)

Turn fires into roasts.

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The silhouetted image of a goat climbing a mountain with a reddish background.

28 Oct 2024 · 8 min read

6 Common Challenges You’ll Face As An Engineering Manager

You can't rely on being a skilled engineer anymore.

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A clipboard with a piece of paper on it that says, "Tasks today: do nothing" with various office items around it.

23 Oct 2024 · 7 min read

The Secret To Engineering Management Is Doing “Nothing”

It's surprisingly difficult to get right.

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A kitchen knife laying against a whetstone with a green background.

21 Oct 2024 · 5 min read

Real Ways To Maintain Your Technical Edge As An Engineering Manager

Most advice isn't practical, but there are realistic alternatives.

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Post-it notes of various colors covering a wall above a desk at an office. Some notes say some variation of "Don't go crazy."

16 Oct 2024 · 7 min read

6 Methods To Manage Your Team Without Going Crazy In The Process

You have an entire team relying on you, so you have to get this right.

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A couple dining outside a cafe in Portugal with a waiter talking to them about the menu.

14 Oct 2024 · 6 min read

5 Communication Skills You Need As An Engineering Manager

As an EM, communication is often the main thing you'll be doing and the key to resolving situations in a satisfactory way for everyone.

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Grandfather and grandson working on tech components.

9 Oct 2024 · 6 min read

The Only Technical Skills You Need As An Engineering Manager

While the EM role mostly requires people skills, it also requires several key technical ones.

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Why Engineers Are Well-Positioned To Become Engineering Managers

7 Oct 2024 · 5 min read

Why Engineers Are Well-Positioned To Become Engineering Managers

As a manager with engineering experience, you’re uniquely primed to take on the role in a way others can’t.

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It’s Normal To Fear Losing Your Technical Edge As An Engineering Manager

2 Oct 2024 · 5 min read

It’s Normal To Fear Losing Your Technical Edge As An Engineering Manager

The transition from engineer to engineering manager (EM) feels a lot like moving to a new country.

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Master These Soft Skills, Master Engineering Management

30 Sep 2024 · 9 min read

Master These Soft Skills, Master Engineering Management

While these soft skills might not come naturally at first, you can master every single one with time and practice.

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5 Practical Ways To Fix Your Work-Life Balance

25 Sep 2024 · 6 min read

5 Practical Ways To Fix Your Work-Life Balance

I'm not going to give you advice for an ideal world - I'm going to give it to you for a real one.

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Engineering Management Is Not The End – You Can Go Back

23 Sep 2024 · 6 min read

Engineering Management Is Not The End – You Can Go Back

If management doesn't work out, you can always return to the individual contributor path.

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4 Destructive Work-Life Balance Impacts You'll Face As An Engineering Manager

18 Sep 2024 · 6 min read

4 Destructive Work-Life Balance Impacts You'll Face As An Engineering Manager

Many hold the view that the busier and more stressed you are, the better you are at your job. But this isn't true, and something will break.

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Never Again Doubt If You Want To Become An Engineering Manager

16 Sep 2024 · 6 min read

Never Again Doubt If You Want To Become An Engineering Manager

The job is rewarding but it's not easy. You must commit to the struggle and discomfort.

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5 Simple Ways Engineering Managers Can Listen To Drastically Improve Their Teams

10 Sep 2024 · 5 min read

5 Simple Ways Engineering Managers Can Listen To Drastically Improve Their Teams

Communication is a huge part of any manager's job. When you do listen as a manager, the effects on your team are amazing.

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Wage War On Communication Creep With These 4 Time-Saving Strategies

2 Sep 2024 · 5 min read

Wage War On Communication Creep With These 4 Time-Saving Strategies

You've heard of scope creep when teams keep adding new requirements without end. "Communication creep" is the same, only for communication.

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5 Reasons Engineering Management Misconceptions Exist

26 Aug 2024 · 9 min read

5 Reasons Engineering Management Misconceptions Exist

Roles like engineering management sit at the intersection of various skills, combining the technical with the personal

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