Story
Don't become an engineering manager
1 report
1 website
1 discussion
Latest report
Overview
Engineering Manager roles can provide valuable skills and experience, even for those not pursuing a management career. However, some professionals advise against accepting these positions due to potential drawbacks.
Summary from newsletter.manager.dev.
Reports
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newsletter.manager.dev
Don't become an engineering manager
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Community reactions
Each reaction summarizes sampled comments from the linked discussion.
Hacker News · newsletter.manager.dev
Hacker News discussion ↗
Historical count: 5 · 5 saved in sample · Historical sample
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Based on 5 sampled comments from this thread. Analyzed 2026-03-04.
- Concern: Many developers are unprepared for the people management and HR responsibilities that come with engineering management roles, leading to dissatisfaction and burnout.
- Concern: The perception that managers have more power and visibility can create a divide between technologists and managers, which may demotivate technical staff.
- Concern: The competitive nature of moving into management roles often leads to fewer opportunities for technical advancement, which can discourage skilled developers from pursuing their passion.