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Comment by bbsimonbb | Hacker News Reader

> Basically everyone who utters the question “.. but how technical are they?” in that particular tone of voice is a shitbird.

Software is a new industry, we're only just starting to get it right, and put behind us a litany of failed projects and methodologies. Every decision in a software company has a technical aspect. I personally am absolutely over non-technical managers and the aberrant strategies and directions they set out on. In my jaundiced view, any software company not led by developers is just waiting to be blown out of the water.

But don't let that detract from an intelligent, heart-felt and thought-provoking article :-)

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> > Basically everyone who utters the question “.. but how technical are they?” in that particular tone of voice is a shitbird.

I don't see the problem here either. Sounds like somebody overheard that comment and had no real answer hence "they're a shitbird".

I want to take instruction from managers who have literally done the thing they're asking for.

There is a reason vast majority of football coaches/managers are former players I don't see why that should be different from software -- even those managers who didn't play professional football often have a pro background in another team sport.

> There is a reason vast majority of football coaches/managers are former players

The reason there is nepotism. It’s insanely difficult for anyone without preexisting connections to get any sort of coaching opportunity. I definitely think ex players make worse coaches, generally speaking. They just have an almost insurmountable leg up.

I do think eng managers should be technical, though. Not because I think you need to have done a job to manage it, but because they are frequently asked to make what amount to being technical decisions.

The thing that makes best managers IMO is the lack of ambition to be leaders. They understand their role as helping engineers do their job and grow and do that well. Whether you need technical expertise for that is an open question. In my career I've seen bad managers both with and without technical background, while good managers all had some experience as engineers - but my sample size is quite small.

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