←back to thread

Google has eliminated 35% of managers overseeing small teams in past year

(www.cnbc.com)
574 points frays | 1 comments | 27 Aug 25 21:16 UTC | HN request time: 0.208s | source
Show context
AnotherGoodName ◴[27 Aug 25 22:01 UTC] No.45045883[source]▶
This was called the TLM role at google. Technical Lead/Manager. You were expected to code and manage a couple of more junior engineers.

It’s part of an effort to have dedicated managers and dedicated engineers instead of hybrid roles.

This is being sold as an efficiency win for the sake of the stock price but it’s really just moved a few people around with the TLMs now 100% focused on programming.

replies(15): >>45045891 #>>45046165 #>>45046216 #>>45046446 #>>45046469 #>>45046545 #>>45046627 #>>45046811 #>>45047198 #>>45047268 #>>45048052 #>>45048255 #>>45048293 #>>45048558 #>>45049014 #
giantg2 ◴[27 Aug 25 22:33 UTC] No.45046165[source]▶
We did something like this but called it a different name. It was absolute garbage. Its really no surprise to see those roles move back to a more traditional alignment.
replies(1): >>45046185 #
p1esk ◴[27 Aug 25 22:36 UTC] No.45046185[source]▶
Why was it bad?
replies(3): >>45046230 #>>45046270 #>>45046558 #
1. virtue3 ◴[27 Aug 25 22:42 UTC] No.45046230[source]▶
Managing skills and techlead and IC skills are pretty different disciplines.

Being 50/50 makes it hard to advance/develop in either one of them significantly.

The biggest issue is that management requires a lot of "wasted time" paying attention to whats going on around you and IC skills require a lot of "heads down time". It's a big fight between those two modes.

I've done it at a startup but it required doing most of my IC work after hours. Which isn't that sustainable.