Yusuf Aytas's Blog, page 5

Building Trust in Engineering Teams

We all know that transparency builds trust. The lack of it? Well, that can lead to major issues. Engineers sometimes join teams and, from the start, struggle with trust. It’s as if information is being kept from them. Have you experienced that? I have seen examples of that throughout my career. I’ve often been asked, “Why does X do that?” or “Why is Y hiding this?” It’s easy to jump to conclusions…

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Ideal Number of Direct Reports

Amazon’s decision to cut 15% of its managers likely comes from a closer look at ratios. Were there too many managers with only 2-3 direct reports? That’s entirely possible. From my time at AWS, I didn’t see this much in engineering, so I doubt those teams will feel it as hard. But other departments with too many managers overseeing too few people were probably more bloated. It’s similar to what…

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Overriding a People Leader’s Decision

When managing managers or leaders, there will be times when you feel that the right course of action differs from their opinion. It could be related to rating an employee, deciding whether to give someone a second chance, or focusing on a particular business area. You see the situation differently, yet your people leader holds a contrary view. After all, we hire smart people to make the right…

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From Misperception to Promotion

If you are in the realm of management, sooner or later, you will encounter someone who wants a promotion but isn’t quite ready for it. In fact, I have seen many cases where the person isn’t even close. Naturally, we all desire growth and advancement, and it’s great to have professional aspirations. However, promotions are earned through consistent effort, demonstrated skills…

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Perception vs Perspective

Have you ever found yourself questioning someone’s decision, only to realize later that you didn’t have the full picture? You know it’s really easy to get caught up in our own way of thinking. And then we expect others to see things just as we do. It shouldn’t be surprising that most people do the same. Everyone gets stuck with their perception, we can’t really overcome misunderstandings and make…

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Setting Goals

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that humans naturally don’t have a long-term mindset. Without clear goals, it’s easy to lose track of what we want to achieve. Defining goals helps us stay focused and committed. It also often feels easier to follow steps rather than blindly trying to achieve our aspirations. On that note, a personal anecdote comes to mind. Last two years…

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From Engineer to Manager

I often get asked whether someone should transition into management. In the past, this might have been the only viable growth path. However, in most large organizations today, this is no longer true, as you can be a leader without managing people. It really comes down to a fundamental question: do you genuinely want to, and would you enjoy it? Additionally, there are a few pros and cons to…

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Getting Delegation Right

In software business, leaders often need to delegate the work. Yet, I have seen leaders struggle with it, often saying, “I try to delegate, but it never quite works.” The truth is, delegation requires attention to detail and understanding of your team’s capabilities and needs. Let’s look at a practical scenario: You need to create a project plan for a new feature and decide to delegate part…

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Interviewing Your Future Boss

I’m sure you have been asked if you have any questions during interviews. A few things come to mind. Often, we think we need to impress the other party. Nevertheless, tough questions are the ones you want to ask, especially to your future boss. We all know that switching teams or starting a new job is a significant decision. You need to understand your future manager’s leadership style and…

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Celebrating Our Book in Iceland

To celebrate the release of our new book, Software Engineering Handbook, Ender and I took a nice trip to Iceland. Here’s a relaxed recap of our five-day journey. We kicked off our trip with the iconic Golden Circle. Our second day was packed with stunning sights along the South Coast. Day three took us to some of Iceland’s most scenic and serene spots.

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