If you're a new EM, I recommend to start away from technical for now. If not, then you should be all of those three things. Of course, it depends on your context and team. I went into detail about staying technical in a recent post.
I think that ‘stop’ is a bit harsh, I would say ‘greatly reduce’. I still find some time to write code, and once a week a 2-3 hours focus block is almost always manageable.
Makes sense. Once you get into the rhythm and get better at your job, what you do is possible. I do the same. But when you're in the transition phase you have to give them up for sometime, if not forever.
Nice article.
Few questions
1. Should i stop doing code review ?
2. Should i stop taking very small tasks ? May be 3 Story pointer for a 2 week sprint ?
3. Should i stop pair programming with developers ?
Thanks for asking these great questions.
If you're a new EM, I recommend to start away from technical for now. If not, then you should be all of those three things. Of course, it depends on your context and team. I went into detail about staying technical in a recent post.
https://emdiary.substack.com/p/keeping-your-technical-edge-in-2025
Great Insights! Thanks for sharing.
I think that ‘stop’ is a bit harsh, I would say ‘greatly reduce’. I still find some time to write code, and once a week a 2-3 hours focus block is almost always manageable.
Makes sense. Once you get into the rhythm and get better at your job, what you do is possible. I do the same. But when you're in the transition phase you have to give them up for sometime, if not forever.
Yeah, I think in the first 6-12 months your focus should be only to survive :)