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Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager

Introduction: A Front-Row Seat to the Chaos of Tech Leadership

Managing Humans by Michael Lopp isn’t your typical business management book—it’s a raw, witty, and sharply insightful collection of real-world stories from inside Silicon Valley. Lopp, a veteran engineering manager at companies like Apple, Pinterest, and Slack, delivers more than just leadership advice; he gives readers a peek behind the curtain of what it’s really like to lead teams in the ever-evolving world of tech.

The book explores the unpredictable, emotionally charged, and often absurd world of software engineering management—where personalities collide, deadlines slip, and company cultures are anything but uniform. Through essays that blend dry humor with hard-won truths, Lopp tackles everything from dealing with brilliant but difficult engineers to surviving toxic meetings and navigating corporate power plays.

At its core, Managing Humans is about understanding people—what motivates them, frustrates them, and inspires them. It’s not a rulebook. It’s a survival guide. Whether you’re a new manager, a seasoned team lead, or a developer eyeing leadership, this book offers valuable lessons from someone who’s been in the trenches.

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Top 10 Lessons from Managing Humans

1. Managing Is Not Coding

Just because you were a great engineer doesn’t mean you’ll be a great manager. The skills don’t transfer automatically. Management is about people, not problems—and it requires an entirely different mindset.

2. Your Job Is to Amplify, Not Control

As a manager, your success isn’t tied to what you build, but to how well your team performs. Your role is to remove roadblocks, clarify goals, and amplify your team’s strengths—not micromanage them.

3. One-on-Ones Are Sacred

Lopp emphasizes the importance of consistent, thoughtful one-on-one meetings. These are not status updates—they’re opportunities to build trust, catch red flags early, and support your team on a human level.

4. People Quit Managers, Not Jobs

Team members often leave because of poor leadership, not because they dislike the work. Great managers recognize this and invest in creating an environment where people feel valued, heard, and challenged.

5. Technical Brilliance Doesn’t Equal Leadership

Some of the smartest engineers make the worst leaders. Lopp urges managers to recognize when someone is better off as an individual contributor—and to create tracks that let them thrive without forcing them into management.

6. Conflict Is Unavoidable—Handle It Head-On

Avoiding conflict only makes it worse. Whether it’s team tension, underperformance, or misalignment with upper management, addressing issues early with honesty and empathy is essential to long-term team health.

7. Build Culture by Example

Culture isn’t defined by mission statements—it’s built through everyday behavior. How you respond under pressure, how you give feedback, how you handle mistakes—these moments shape the team more than any all-hands speech.

8. Meetings Are Expensive—Make Them Count

Don’t let meetings become time-sinks. Every meeting should have a purpose, an agenda, and a desired outcome. If you don’t need a meeting, don’t have one. Time is your team’s most valuable asset.

9. Hiring Is a Manager’s Most Important Job

Hiring the wrong person is far more costly than delaying a decision. Great managers obsess over hiring—looking beyond resumes to assess how candidates think, communicate, and align with team culture.

10. Management Is a Long Game

Success in management doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a slow, ongoing process of learning, failing, and adapting. The best managers stay humble, stay curious, and understand that people, not process, drive performance.

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Final Thoughts

Managing Humans cuts through the corporate fluff and delivers a dose of truth for anyone brave enough to lead a team in the tech world. With humor, honesty, and just the right amount of sarcasm, Michael Lopp captures the messiness of management—and offers hard-won wisdom on how to do it better. Whether you’re climbing the ladder or just trying not to fall off, this book is a must-read for anyone managing humans in a digital age.