When to Hire Your First Engineering Manager

At around 8-10 engineers, the founder or CTO can no longer effectively manage everyone directly. This is a critical transition point for any startup. Signs it's time to hire an engineering manager: code quality is slipping, engineers feel unsupported in their growth, and the CTO has no time to code or think strategically.

Signs it's time to hire an EM

Your CTO is spending more than 50% of their time on management tasks. Engineers are blocked waiting for decisions. Career development conversations aren't happening. The team is growing but velocity isn't increasing proportionally. These are all signs that professional management is needed.

What to look for in a first EM

Look for someone who can both manage people and understand technical decisions. They should have engineering experience themselves but be excited about enabling others rather than building features. A strong first EM sets up your engineering organization for healthy growth.