The Software Developer's Career Handbook

Chapter 10. Managing Managers

Everyone knew something was up. The executive team was scarce. Meetings weren’t being canceled—they were being ignored. It smelled like a re-org, but the startup was doing okay. We’d closed another round of funding three months ago. The adjectives in the all-hands were positive, so where were the execs?

Finally. A hastily scheduled meeting with executives and senior managers.

“We’re letting the VP of engineering go.”

My boss? Tony? He’s, like, good. I...don’t understand.

In hindsight, the disconnect between my VP and the rest of the executives was never clearly explained, but understanding boardroom shenanigans isn’t the point of this chapter. The two brief lessons that have nothing to do with this chapter are: first, just because you like your boss doesn’t mean he’s playing nice with others, and second, expect surprises. Always.

A solid replacement was quickly found. As new bosses go, Gimley was an easy transition. The lights were on. He soon scheduled a meeting with me and made it clear it was my meeting by letting me vent for a solid 20 minutes. “Get it out of your system, Rands, I’m here to listen.”

It wasn’t a meeting to resolve anything; it was a rough sketch of the playing field in the company. A high-level getting-to-know-you. Gimley didn’t say much, he nodded a lot, but at the end, he had his marching orders ready. There was only one, and I was initially disappointed with its simplicity.

“Rands, I want no surprises.”

It was a deceptively ...