Hug your manager

Most managers are about average, but they do more for you than you think.

At Reactathon last night I was talking to a friend who used to be a Principal TPM – technical program manager – at a company you've heard of. Then they got laid off. We'll call her Rose because that's not her name.

Rose described working in big tech as "holding on to a raging bull" and "they pay you good money to have no life". When the drinks kicked in, she likened it to working in the mines.

Long nights, early mornings, endless blocks of meetings. The workload is designed to suck you dry. When you burn out they toss you aside and hire someone new.

But you owe it to your team not to burn out. "Keep a stack of powerbars at your desk", she suggests. You can't make good decisions, if you're hungry.

Take time to eat between meetings? Hahahaha, no. You grind yourself into dust so that your team has time to eat and space to think.

You hold back all the bullshit and set your team up for success. Like this:

Rose could see the layoffs coming a mile away. Her reaction? Action! "Okay we're gonna ship this, this, and this, so when the guillotine drops, everyone in the team has a fat portfolio of great work they can leverage for their next opportunity"

The guillotine dropped too soon. She needed just a few more weeks. That's what bugs her the most – having to leave without ensuring everyone's set.

And that's what good managers do for you: They care. Because the faceless corporate machine does not.

Cheers,
~Swizec