A large part of my experience has been around managing people rather than software.

As the team starts to grow, the segmentation of goals and effort requires a constant adjustment to make sure that the work division in the organization is consistent and balanced. This is achieved by a nice mix of adapted key performance indicators, strong management relays and open direct discussions. There is no magic recipe to build the correct set of humans and technical skills but listening aptitudes and bold actions when required.

Cost saving, and resource optimization is an operational state of mind, if one want to avoid the dramatic cycle of inconsiderate spending and painful restrictions. In many cases headcount is the number one factor in engineering budget management, so it requires a big attention, as it very easily impact motivation and productivity.

Money is rarely the only correct answer to attrition control. Despite challenging budget I’ve been able to reach a very low level of turnover in my team (always less than 5%) despite rough periods and uncertain times. There are many sources of satisfaction for team members and working on those eventually pays off.

Education and training are keystones of the team backbone. It both contributes to productivity and personal satisfaction, as by building on people expertise the team get stronger and more adaptive, committed, and hyper efficient on assigned goals, and proud of its own work, initiating a positive virtual cycle.