Do Engineering Managers Need to Code? Leveling, Calibration & Craft

from How Many CTOs · host How Many CTOs Podcast

In this episode of "How Many CTOs Does It Take?" podcast, hosts Scott Porad and Brad Hefta-Gaub delve into the art and science of engineering leveling frameworks. From performance reviews to competency guides, they explore how organizations can fairly evaluate engineers while balancing technical expertise, communication, ownership, and professional judgment. They tackle tough questions like: Should engineering competencies be weighted differently by role or seniority? How do you calibrate across managers to reduce subjectivity? Should engineering managers still code — and if so, when does it help vs. hurt? How do you measure "soft" skills like business acumen or professional judgment alongside technical skills? The conversation also touches on tech debt, culture-building, and frameworks like Dropbox's open-source engineering career ladder. If you're building or refining your engineering leveling guidelines, this episode is packed with practical insights and nuanced perspectives 00:00 Introduction and Employee Growth 00:40 Podcast Kickoff and Banter 01:18 Performance Reviews and Calibration 01:48 Defining Competencies and Calibration Process 06:35 Debate on Weighting Competencies 14:56 Subjectivity in Reviews and Tech Debt Discussion 18:24 Balancing Tech Debt and Business Value 20:23 Prioritization and Professional Judgment 22:05 The Role of Business Acumen in Engineering 24:42 The Importance of Technical and Communication Skills 29:38 Should Engineering Managers Code? 34:36 The Debate on Code Reviews and AI 37:04 Concluding Thoughts and Podcast Wrap-Up Resources: How Many CTOs Pod: https://howmanyctospod.com Scott Porad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottporad/ Brad Hefta-Gaub: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradheftagaub/ #TechPodcast #EngineeringPodcast #DevTalks #PodcastForDevs #HowManyCtos #Podcast #Ctos #CtoPodcast #Technology #Engineering #SoftwareDevelopment #TechLeadership #EngineeringLeadership #CareerFrameworks #TechManagement #EngineeringCulture #LevelingGuidelines #EngineeringGrowth #TechCareers #EngineeringExcellence

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Do Engineering Managers Need to Code? Leveling, Calibration & Craft

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