A new chapter in SF begins. Reflecting on my first month as an Engineering Manager, house hunting, and staying hopeful through challenges.
Itās been about a month since I officially stepped into my new role as an Engineering Manager at Slack on the Lists team, and it feels like Iām learning and growing every day. š±
I moved to San Francisco on January 3 after living in Virginia with my mom since July. Long story shortāI've basically been hoping around different places since leaving SF in May 2021.
The city has welcomed me back with open arms thoughāitās brimming with life, growth, and opportunity, and I couldnāt be more excited to be here! šš½
Iām currently subleasing a friendās place in West Portal until March and have been diligently house hunting for a place in the East Bay. I canāt wait to find my own little casita, settle in, and bring my two dogs, Luna and SueƱo, to join me in this next chapter. š¾
Being a manager has been an eye-opening experience. As some other managers jokingly call it, Iām learning how the ādark sideā works. Itās definitely a shift from IC life, especially given the sheer number of meetings I attend now (so. many. meetings. 44 hours so far this month to be exact š±).
I used to optimize for long, undisturbed focus time to code, so this adjustment has been challenging. But on the plus side I am gaining a lot of insight into the behind the scenes of how leadership at the team and pillar level get shit done. I also have enjoyed the shift of supporting the projects and career milestones of my direct reports.
What I deliver as a manager isnāt as binary or straightforward, but I feel like Iāve found my place. Now, itās just about continuing to settle in both in my new role and just physically somewhere. PLEASE LET MY NEXT OFFER ON A HOUSE NOT GET OUTBID. ā ļø
Outside of work, Iāve been going to events in the city almost every weekday after hours which has been delightful. Unsurprisingly, most of them have been about AI so it's been fun learning all the unique jargon (MCP, one protocol to rule them all, amiright). š¤
I can't share an update without addressing the current political and social climate. The ongoing challenges from the Trump administrationās actions and other systemic issues are heavy. I feel the weight of it all the time. But I also believe this is where leadership countsāstaying hopeful, finding solutions, and doing our part to build the future we want to see. Itās why Iām hyper focused on showing up for my team, my community, my family and just trying to lead by example.
If youāre in the area and want to grab coffee, please reach outāIād love to connect. Thanks for reading and here's to making this year one to remember!
Cheers, Frances š
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Highlights of this month āØ
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Resources I've found useful recently š
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Developer joke cause why not š
Why do developers love dark mode? Because light attracts bugs! š