First-Time Manager Playbook
From doing the work to multiplying the people who do
Who This Is For
New managers and team leads
Any
You just started managing and your instincts are all IC instincts
Your output is now the team's output. Every hour spent doing IC work is an hour not spent removing what slows five other people down.
1. Build the Relationship Layer
Coaching, feedback, and the conversations that make trust real.
Coaching and Talent Development
Senior product management impact is defined by the ability to provide strategic clarity and prioriti...
View Skill → →Giving Effective Feedback
Frame difficult feedback as a joint effort to help the employee achieve their own professional goals...
View Skill → →Managing Up for Leaders
Overcome the discomfort of self-promotion by reframing it as a responsibility to educate others abou...
View Skill → →2. Build the Team
Hire well and evaluate honestly.
Hiring World-Class Product Talent
In the AI era, the value of the generalist has increased significantly because tools allow individua...
View Skill → →Interviewing and Evaluating Candidates
In rapidly evolving environments like AI growth, high individual agency and 'clock speed' are more p...
View Skill → →3. Run the System
Meetings that earn their time, and what to do when the team stalls.
Running Effective Meetings
Maximize meeting efficiency by ensuring information discovery happens beforehand and final decisions...
View Skill → →Fixing Underperforming Teams
When a team member underperforms, systematically determine if the cause is a lack of skill, a lack o...
View Skill → →Building High-Performing Team Culture
High-performing cultures require leaders to prioritize clear performance standards and organizationa...
View Skill → →Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Being the hero instead of the multiplier
- Saving feedback for review season
- Hiring for likability over evidence