Uber folks, do you have any tips/advice for a new Engineering Manager starting at Uber? Things that I definitely should do, or stay away from, etc etc. TC ~450K
5a or 5b
Shipit, us that your Uber offer TC or Amazon. What level at Amazon? Also, can you share details of the Uber comp?
Uber offer
Basically unless you are dead into politics you are finished - I moved away from Uber and honestly amazon is much better
One advice is to 1. Make sure that you never trust anyone , anyone can backstab you. 2. Show over excitement for everything and anything . 3. Work till late night and come early make sure everyone sees you there . 4. Do a lot of coding - my previous manager wanted to see my code commits in phab 5. Make sure you write a lot of wikis etc to show that you are working 6. Always look to grow your team (size) - empire building is necessary otherwise you will be cut.
You really can’t stop lying, can you?
Develop a good reputation with your manager (and ideally your skip). That way, if any of your reports tries to talk shit about you and escalate up the chain, you, your manager and your skip get in a room together and put together a nice little PIP for them. Then, it doesn’t matter if you’re a good manager or bad manager, you’ll always be able to hold on to your job. Optional: be a good manager who helps your reports grow and then the above are only necessary when you have SJW reports that are never happy no matter how far backward everyone bends over for them. Think of the above strategy like the way companies like Google defensively acquire patents.
Thank you all for the different perspectives. It sounds like the previous culture was toxic and there are still isolated instances of toxicity. The current Uberites seem to point toward an improved environment though. Having seen extreme ends at my current workplace I hope to navigate through the new culture and make a positive impact. Really big thanks for all the input here, please keep 'em coming. It's helpful.
Uber EM here. - Set aside the week to attend and properly complete Engucation. This will allow you to be familiar with the eng tools & processes your team uses. It’s quite different than other places. Without this, you will have less empathy on how your team works. - Ask your direct and your peers on suggestions for your onboarding, share a plan and have them contribute to it. Our onboarding for managers is poor, but people do have lots of tribal knowledge that they are happy to share. - Read current and past RFCs the first few months related to your team. You’ll be in many meetings where being hands on with architecture is an advantage in making good decisions. - Build strong relationships with your peers (EMs and PMs) and your manager. People are generally open, honest and helpful here. Most misunderstandings happen due to mid-alignment that trust and visibility can help prevent. - Get a sense of career growth aspirations of your team early on and don’t over promise. Many engineers are really focused on levels and can have unrealistic expectations to get to the next level. It’s getting harder as we’re growing, but in the past there were people flying through them. It’s better to have conversations about this earlier (and enlist input from your peers & manager, who will have valuable input). - Clarify expectations from the start. Chances are, you either inherit a new team (great!) or a struggling team (not so great, but a good challenge). Either way, your first few months you won’t be able to turn a miracle, so be sure to set realistic goals with your manager / slip. - Find a mentor outside your immediate org. Ask your manager / skip / Director to hep with this. Having someone impartial to talk to who has been with the org for a while will mean a world of a difference (very few EMs do this, but the ones who do I’ve seen be thankful). - If you see something that’s not ok, do something about it, especially around culture. From day zero. We have a zero tolerance for antisocial behaviour (read: jerks) and you will get support in dealing with this from management & HR. Especially if you inherit a team which might have people with the wrong attitude on it that someone did not deal with, make it clear that anyone who does not follow basics on D&I and respecting others goes first to HR, then out the door. - Read the Blind Uber channel with a huge grain of salt - it’s not representative of the day to day. - Finally: do fewer tings and do them well. Historically, we’ve been poor at prioritising and tend to try to get too much done at once. You will be judged by your ability to commit and deliver, so the first few months under promise and over deliver. Best of luck and welcome to Uber! It will be an exciting ride.
Great suggestions, works with any company!
Thank you for taking the time to write this thoughtful response!
Hey shipit, can you respond to my query w.r.t details of the Uber comp and current level at Amazon?
Be kind. Don’t be a dick. Make data-driven decisions. Collaborate rather than empire build. Be strategic for the long-term and don’t always chase the immediate quick win
Thank you!
Lol uber - completely against what’s actually happening there - you look like someone drinking too much kool aid :) should I name those who have built empires and have become senior manager and director in 1.5 years (from em2) and obvious left