Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

The things engineers are desperate for PMs to understand | Camille Fournier (author of “The Manager’s Path,” ex-CTO at Rent the Runway)

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Sep 15, 2024

Camille Fournier, author of 'The Manager’s Path' and former CTO at Rent the Runway, shares her wealth of experience in tech leadership. She discusses the common frustrations engineers have with product managers, like communication breakdowns and misallocated credit. Camille offers insights on avoiding major rewrites in software, the transition from engineer to manager, and the importance of clear collaboration with platform teams. She also emphasizes striking a balance between effective management and personal well-being, topped off with tips for new managers.

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ADVICE

Share Credit

Share credit with engineers and acknowledge their contributions.
Give engineers opportunities to present their work and avoid taking all the glory.

ADVICE

Respect Details

Understand and acknowledge the importance of technical details in engineering work.
Show empathy for engineers' efforts, even if you don't grasp every detail.

ADVICE

Stop Playing Telephone

Avoid playing telephone between engineers and stakeholders; connect them directly.
If you find yourself constantly relaying information, re-evaluate your approach.

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The Manager's Path

A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change

Camille Fournier

Camille Fournier's "The Manager's Path" provides a comprehensive guide to engineering management, offering insights into various aspects of leadership in technical teams. The book covers topics such as building high-performing teams, managing conflict, and making effective decisions. Fournier's experience in the tech industry provides a practical perspective, offering relatable scenarios and actionable strategies. The book is a valuable resource for aspiring and experienced engineering managers seeking to improve their skills and effectiveness. It offers a structured approach to navigating the challenges and opportunities of leadership in a technical environment.

When Things Fall Apart

Heart Advice for Difficult Times

Pema Chödrön

In this book, Pema Chödrön offers life-changing tools for transforming suffering and negative patterns into habitual ease and boundless joy. Drawing from traditional Buddhist wisdom, she advises moving toward painful situations with friendliness and curiosity, rather than trying to escape them. The book emphasizes the importance of embracing uncertainty, impermanence, and groundlessness, and provides practical advice for dealing with difficult emotions like fear, anger, and sadness. Chödrön encourages readers to stay present with their feelings and to cultivate nonaggression and compassion, leading to deeper healing and understanding[1][3][5].

What Got You Here Won't Get You There

Marshall Goldsmith

This book by Marshall Goldsmith focuses on helping successful individuals recognize and change the behavioral habits that are holding them back from achieving even greater success. Goldsmith identifies 20 common bad habits, such as speaking when angry or adding too much value, and provides a systematic approach to changing these behaviors. He emphasizes that it is not technical skills but behavioral changes that separate the great from the rest. The book offers practical advice on how to eliminate these dysfunctions and improve interpersonal relationships, which is crucial for advancing in one's career and personal life.

Platform Engineering

Ian Nowland

Camille Fournier