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What Does a Software Development Manager Do Next?

2 points by panjaro ↗ HN
I've been a software development manager for more than 2 years now. I used to code more at the beginning then I let me team focus on code, technical aspects as I trust them and mainly I would like them to have the freedom. I sometimes write API code but very basic ones. Most of my day is spent on meetings, support to end users, writing user stories, and some admin tasks like looking for interns, interviewing, sorting out licenses, making sure servers are up and get infrastructure team to look into it, etc etc,

so fast forward 2 yrs I have lost technical sharpness, so I cant be a programmer anymore, I'm not a a BA neither a PM. I champion agile practices in my team but I'm not an agile coach though. At this stage I feel a bit lost. I feel like I'm not good at anything. where do I go from here?

6 comments

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bruth
Where do you want to go? It sounds like you are implying you want to get back to the technical work? If the job does not allow, then you may need to find a role. Or is the concern that you are losing touch with the current tech and can't make technical decisions like you used to? Or are you asking what is the next step as a technical manager?

If you feel that you aren't good at anything (which clearly is not true given that you've fostered your team) then what is it that you want to get good at?

panjaro
The team is mostly settled, we have database programmer who pretty much handles everything, programmers who work directly under business analysts taking tasks from them. I find myself not adding any value to the team. In other words, apart from day to day admin tasks and some occasional instances I am hardly needed. So I'm thinking what next? Not looking to be a full time developer,my health condition doesn't allow for it anymore.
bruth
> I find myself not adding any value to the team.

If the team is as optimized as it can be, then it may be time to move on from this team to another where you can add value. This sounds like an obvious statement, but without knowing much about your organization this may or may not be a viable option.

But again to my original, what do you want to do? How do you want to grow? What impact do you want to have? If you have the organization structure such that you can make a case to join a new team and help them grow and/or help with strategy for the organization as a whole (which will touch multiple teams), then there is that path as well.

If you want to transition organizations altogether then the above still holds.. in the sense that you need to define your own goals and then find an organization where you can develop them and have an impact.

natalyarostova
>so fast forward 2 yrs I have lost technical sharpness, so I cant be a programmer anymore

Do you really have such little faith in your ability to relearn things?

panjaro
I more of lack of desire to be a full time programmer, mainly due to my health issues.