About this newsletter
The Engineering Manager is written by James Stanier as a collection of thoughts, stories, and resources on the subject of engineering management.
It is intended to inform and entertain, providing hands-on tutorials for new managers, along with occasional book reviews, interviews, and articles that explore both the art and science of being an effective manager.
Years ago, when first becoming a manager in a technology company, James found the lack of resources alarming: how should he be doing his job? How will he know that he is succeeding? Just what exactly is a manager meant to be doing all day? That spawned the site, which in turn spawned the books.
This newsletter exists to serve the engineering community: from those that are managers or are wanting to become one, through to those just interested in the profession. We hope that it can have a positive impact on the day to day lives of the millions of engineers worldwide.
Getting in contact
I’m fairly active on X if you want to say hello. Else, you can reach me by email on hello at theengineeringmanager.com.
Supporting this newsletter
There are a few ways in which you can support this newsletter.
The easiest way is to become a paid subscriber. Free subscribers get 12 articles a year, while paid subscribers get 24. Paid articles are often more personal, in-depth, and tailored to my subscriber base than those which are free. Examples of my paid content are:
The two-part series on my journey to becoming a CTO [part 1, part 2]
An actionable guide for how to increase AI adoption in your organization.
How to think about career planning in a post-AI world where the usual ladder may no longer exist.
You can purchase one of my books. If you’re just getting into management, then there’s Become an Effective Software Engineering Manager. If you’re growing as a leader, then there’s Become a Great Engineering Leader. If remote work is your thing, then check out Effective Remote Work. DRM-free eBooks are available via the Pragmatic Bookshelf or physical copies can be sourced via other bookshops like Amazon.
Failing that, likes, restacks and shares are always appreciated!
Can I expense this newsletter?
Yes.
Most subscribers expense this to their company’s learning & development, training, or software budget. If a single post helps you navigate a difficult organisational bottleneck, hire better, or make a smarter architectural call, it pays for itself many times over.
Need manager approval? Copy and paste this template:
Hi [Manager Name],
I’d like to expense an annual subscription to The Engineering Manager ($150/year) using my L&D budget. It’s an executive engineering leadership newsletter covering talent density, organizational scaling, and software strategy. The tactical playbooks directly help me navigate team performance and technical execution in my role here. Let me know if I can submit this for reimbursement.
Discounts
Purchasing power parity (PPP): Live somewhere with a lower cost of living than the US or Western Europe? Drop me an email and I’ll send you a discounted subscription link.
Students: I’m happy to offer reduced rates for students. Get in touch with your academic email address, or just let me know you’re studying and we’ll sort something out.
For either of the above, reach me at hello at theengineeringmanager.com..
Thanks for taking the time to check this out.
