A colleague gave me this book earlier this year (2019), and it’s been on my to-read list since June 2017. I read it cover-to-cover, then went back to compile all of my margin notes and underlined parts. The latter part took longer than I expected because the value density is exceptionally high in this book.
Summary
This is a broad and deep playbook of how to manage your technical career. Camille Fournier distilled everything she learned as she rose from individual contributor to CTO into the lessons she wished she’d known at the time.
The book is designed to be read in chunks as you progress in your career. I’d argue reading the whole thing will help you understand those above you and get you thinking about what’s next. Each chapter has sections like “ask the CTO,” examples of good/bad behavior as a manager, and questions for you to ask yourself at the end.
Topics include
- Management 101
- Mentoring
- Tech Lead
- Managing People
- Managing a Team
- Managing Multiple Teams
- Managing Managers
- The Big Leagues (VPs, CTO)
- Bootstrapping Culture
For anyone considering following the management track, I’d consider this book required reading.
Deeper exploration
My detailed write-up (31 pages) can be found here.