#253 – August 03, 2025
advice for first-time managers learned the hard way
So you're a manager now
7 minutes by Scott Kosman
Being a first-time manager is weird. You go from being great at your job to being a total beginner at a job that nobody really taught you how to do. Scott shares advice for first-time managers that he learned the hard way, cleaned it up, and passed it on.
AI Meets DevOps: Insights from ServiceNow, Regions Bank, and Emily Freeman
sponsored by Harness.io
Join {unscripted} Virtual on Sept 30 to hear from leaders at ServiceNow, Regions Bank, and bestselling author Emily Freeman as they share how AI is transforming DevOps, boosting productivity, and reshaping software delivery. Can’t make it live? Register to get the on-demand recording.
How to manage yourself as an engineering manager
14 minutes by Alex Ponomarev
Alex shares his tips on how to start managing yourself. He covers eight key areas: managing time and energy, handling stress, maintaining emotional control, setting boundaries, being flexible, prioritizing tasks, using organizational tools, and holding oneself accountable. He argues that success comes from building a strong team while taking care of yourself, accepting mistakes, and continuously learning from them.
How I learned that intuition isn't magic
9 minutes by Phil McKinney
Phil shares his framework that transforms gut reactions into reliable decisions through three key steps: reality recognition, experience application, and stakeholder psychology reading. He illustrates the framework's value by contrasting his dismissal of Twitter with his successful avoidance of a $200M acquisition that would have failed.
Max MRR: Your growth ceiling
11 minutes by Jason Cohen
Max MRR is a predictive metric that calculates the maximum revenue a company can achieve based on its monthly cancellation rate and new revenue. It serves as a leading indicator that can forecast revenue plateaus months or years in advance, making it particularly valuable for tracking business health.
Leading your engineers towards an AI-assisted future
16 minutes by Pete Hodgson
Pete shares a strategy for engineering leaders to adopt AI-assisted coding in their organizations through a three-phase approach: experimentation, adoption, and impact measurement. He recommends setting clear goals while giving teams flexibility in implementation, supported by organizational infrastructure like training, budget allocation, and a community of practice.
Why is literally everything broken?
sponsored by Test Double
When you come up for air after scaling super fast it’s super common to experience these symptoms: nothing works, everyone is frustrated with everything, and you have no idea what is broken or where to start. It happens to every org at key pivot points. Our pragmatic assessments uncover root causes and prioritize real fixes we can help you with, not slide deck solutions. Find out how we do it.
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