Technically proficient/above average, yes. But the technically excellent ones should be the ones doing the coding, not wasting time on management duties.
Management has a different skill-set requirement, but they need to be able to identify good work from average/bad.
Yep. I have the good type of dynamic with my boss where I can see the ground level for 400 miles in all directions, and he can see 40000ft up. I can handle data of any size and see patterns in datasets, and he can handle managing people and executives for more than 30 minutes at a time without feeling like his core fabric is unraveling.
It's good for a manager to have a different skillset from their employee in some cases. What's not good is a manager who has no experience, no interest, and no understanding of their employee's work. I have a feeling that Elon is calling out the latter.
In my own experience, mostly working in cutting edge projects, good techies dont need someone to hold their hand but rather they need someone who can see both the bigger picture and the deeper picture.
I have seen too many teams running circles around their manager - who even though had great management skills, did not understand the technical details well.
If "management duties" are taking up too much time, then they are doing something wrong.
but they need to be able to identify good work from average/bad.
When it comes to code, unless you are a good coder yourself, you wont be able to do this.
However, all this is besides the point, taking the tweet literally. I think this is comms. He is sending a message that the woke/minority/inclsivity rubbish they have been using to push people of their kind to capture big companies is going to end.
I think you are onto something in regards to comms. This isn't really about his thoughts on what makes a good technical manager, since that answer varies extremely widely depending on the company and situation.
It's really a message that he's going to clean house. Thank God.
Yep, and it makes no sense for Elon to tweet something about such a mundane stuff, and really CEO/Owner would never be involved in hiring managers in the first place.
Spot on. I am a VP of Tech. I coded for 20 years but haven't put any code into production for at least the last 10. The skills required to code do NOT translate upward. Only a select few have both technical and managerial skills to succeed in upper management roles, and it is exceptionally difficult to do both effectively at the same time. Developers must focus on details while managers must focus on big picture. Having said that, a manager needs to understand the fundamentals of their team at minimum, so that they can guide and direct, but also to your point, identify when they are being BS'd by the techies.
This dynamic of course differs based on the size and type of company. Highly-technical managers tend to succeed better in flatter, more entrepreneurial companies. If there's hierarchy and scale though, a manager must focus on the political and financial aspects of the role at the expense of the technical.
This is Elon showing his preference for meritocracy instead of hiring based on how many diversity boxes are checked. As a hands-on manager of a small but growing dev team, I couldn't agree more.
Oooooh, the Eloi are told to now hate Elon soooooooo much. And so hate they do. So, so much hate. If only there was a handy “Elon is a racist fascist” emoji, they’d preeningly append it to their name.
While there are instances where the opposite can be true - as attested to all these fine comments - Elon is ensuring only the best of the best will be in mgmt positions. Also it's a great excuse to CLEAN HOUSE
Not all good coders can be good managers, but to be a good manager of coding teams (an I am referring just to the lower level managers, not senior or executive) you gotta be good at coding, in addition to having all other attributes of a good manager
I kind of disagree with Elon on this one.
Technically proficient/above average, yes. But the technically excellent ones should be the ones doing the coding, not wasting time on management duties.
Management has a different skill-set requirement, but they need to be able to identify good work from average/bad.
But who am I to argue with Elon on this?
Agree. I've worked with some good managers who 100% relied on their team to give them the correct information to work with.
It's when you get a non-techie manager who doesn't listen to his team it all falls apart.
Yep. I have the good type of dynamic with my boss where I can see the ground level for 400 miles in all directions, and he can see 40000ft up. I can handle data of any size and see patterns in datasets, and he can handle managing people and executives for more than 30 minutes at a time without feeling like his core fabric is unraveling.
It's good for a manager to have a different skillset from their employee in some cases. What's not good is a manager who has no experience, no interest, and no understanding of their employee's work. I have a feeling that Elon is calling out the latter.
In my own experience, mostly working in cutting edge projects, good techies dont need someone to hold their hand but rather they need someone who can see both the bigger picture and the deeper picture.
I have seen too many teams running circles around their manager - who even though had great management skills, did not understand the technical details well.
If "management duties" are taking up too much time, then they are doing something wrong.
When it comes to code, unless you are a good coder yourself, you wont be able to do this.
However, all this is besides the point, taking the tweet literally. I think this is comms. He is sending a message that the woke/minority/inclsivity rubbish they have been using to push people of their kind to capture big companies is going to end.
I think you are onto something in regards to comms. This isn't really about his thoughts on what makes a good technical manager, since that answer varies extremely widely depending on the company and situation.
It's really a message that he's going to clean house. Thank God.
Yep, and it makes no sense for Elon to tweet something about such a mundane stuff, and really CEO/Owner would never be involved in hiring managers in the first place.
Technically excellent managers can drive the team nuts, as they tend to micro manage all the minute details.
A good technical manager should be one who knows enough to recognize when the team is putting out BS, but has an excellent big picture perspective.
And then there are the excellent managers who have really good emotional and social IQs.
DJT has a really high social IQ.
I side with elon on this (and his 200billion)
Spot on. I am a VP of Tech. I coded for 20 years but haven't put any code into production for at least the last 10. The skills required to code do NOT translate upward. Only a select few have both technical and managerial skills to succeed in upper management roles, and it is exceptionally difficult to do both effectively at the same time. Developers must focus on details while managers must focus on big picture. Having said that, a manager needs to understand the fundamentals of their team at minimum, so that they can guide and direct, but also to your point, identify when they are being BS'd by the techies.
This dynamic of course differs based on the size and type of company. Highly-technical managers tend to succeed better in flatter, more entrepreneurial companies. If there's hierarchy and scale though, a manager must focus on the political and financial aspects of the role at the expense of the technical.
No one size fits all.
The comments are telling. The ones with yellow and blue flags are the ones wildly opposed to this.
This is Elon showing his preference for meritocracy instead of hiring based on how many diversity boxes are checked. As a hands-on manager of a small but growing dev team, I couldn't agree more.
GC
Yeah, get rid of all those transformational types who are spouting all those buzz-words.
While you are there, check that they can actually comprehend English enough to detect sarcasm.
Oooooh, the Eloi are told to now hate Elon soooooooo much. And so hate they do. So, so much hate. If only there was a handy “Elon is a racist fascist” emoji, they’d preeningly append it to their name.
Sounds like some terminations might be coming.
Working in the software industry I 100% agree with this.
Clearly he referring to potatus
What he is saying is no more diversity hires that act like a cancer.
Reminds of when one the FB founders stated in his manifesto, that, Zuckerberg can't write a single line of code
Sounds like another dig at Bill Gates to me. He was shit at programming and he has no technical knowledge in the field he's in now.
Mumbai Mike will not like this one bit.
While there are instances where the opposite can be true - as attested to all these fine comments - Elon is ensuring only the best of the best will be in mgmt positions. Also it's a great excuse to CLEAN HOUSE
"I have people skills; I am good at dealing with people. Can't you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?"
Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee………nooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Game recognize game.... revolutionary concept.
Not all good coders can be good managers, but to be a good manager of coding teams (an I am referring just to the lower level managers, not senior or executive) you gotta be good at coding, in addition to having all other attributes of a good manager