Some principles and tricks I've learned about leading software teams from over five years of experience of growth at Etsy.

1. From Building a Marketplace
to Building Teams
Mike Brittain
VP Eng., Etsy
@mikebrittain mikebrittain.com/talks

2. A. Do you consider yourself a manager, tech
lead, team lead, leader, etc.?
B. See yourself eventually transitioning into
that leadership category?

3. C. “Hell no, you’ll take my editor away from me
over my cold, dead body.”

4. 2010: Sr. Engineer -> Team Lead -> Eng. Mgr.
2011: Eng. Director: Core, Devtools, Perf, CI
2012: Eng. Director, Mobile
2014: VP, Eng.

5. Disinguished Eng.
Principle Eng.
Sr. Staff Eng.
Staff Eng.
Sr. Eng.
Software Eng. (2)
Software Eng. (1)
VP
Sr. Director
Director
Sr. Manager
Manager

6. Leading a team is a distinct role
from being a contributor on the
team.

7. “We want you to be the director of
technology. We want you to run the team.
You’re in charge. And, of course, you’ll still be
able to write code 75% of the time.”

8. Leadership is a role that requires
100% of your effort.

9. Hire the right people.
Get them onto the right teams.*
Create a sense of mission and purpose.
Ruthlessly remove the blockers.
Enable them to do what they are great at.

10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuckman%27s_stages_of_group_development

11. * Group development is almost entirely what
your role is about as a leader.

13. Manage ambiguity. Create certainty.

14. Regularly scheduled Q&A time with the team.
a.k.a., “Truths, Lies, and Rumors”

15. Additional topics
Recruiting, Onboarding, 1:1s, etc.

16. Leadership is a lonely role only if
you allow it to be.

17. Build your cohort of fellow leaders.

18. Not just personnel managers, and not just
those within your own company.
Build your cohort of fellow leaders.

19. Build your cohort of fellow leaders.
Not just personnel managers, and not just those
within your own company.
Be explicit about when a conversation is to be
held in confidence.

20. Leaders think about how the team
will work in the future.

21. Running good meetings is a topic unto itself.

22. Allow your meetings to expire.

23. Allow your meetings to expire.

24. You (w|d)on’t have time to know everything
that is going on in the team.
Where you expend effort and attention must change as the team
grows and the company grows.

26. Put yourself out of a job.

27. Go on a long vacation.
Prepare your team (over time).
Assign temporary* delegates for everything.
Turn off your email.
Spend time thinking about how the team is performing.

28. Assign temporary* delegates for everything.
“Hey, Bob. I heard from the team that you’re doing an excellent job
taking care of X, Y, Z. I’d like you to be in charge of these full-time.
We’ll announce that to the team in this week’s All-Hands.”

29. Put yourself out of a job.*
* WARNING: May not be appropriate outside of growth-stage
companies.

30. You’ll ship less frequently when
you’re a leader.

31. “It’s impossible to get any ‘real work’ done
during the day.”

33. Take some credit for yourself.
(You know, from time to time…)

34. Thank you!
Mike Brittain
VP Eng., Etsy
@mikebrittain mikebrittain.com/talks