I Reincarnated as an Engineering Manager

This article is for Day 25 (Season 2) of the Kaonavi Advent Calendar 2025.

Introduction

Haisai! I'm Shimabu, part of the Labor and Attendance Group at Kaonavi.

This time, I'd like to talk about my "reincarnation" as an Engineering Manager (hereafter, EM). I'll share why I became an EM and what I hope to achieve in this role.

Background

The Labor and Attendance Group I currently belong to is a relatively new group within Kaonavi. It was established at the beginning of 2024 (initially as a separate department), and I joined as a founding member.

At the start, there were 6 members, and I was the only developer actually writing code. Before I knew it, the team grew rapidly and has now become a large group of over 30 people. A group of more than 30 is quite large even within our company.

In the midst of all this, I was reincarnated as an EM.
(This reincarnation happened in November 2025. It's actually very recent!)

Why I Became an EM

Conflict

First, there was a conflict.

I originally held the role of Tech Lead, so at the start of the project, I was doing hands-on development myself. However, as the number of members increased, I realized that there was a gap between what I was actually doing and what I was originally supposed to do and what was expected of me.

What I actually do includes:

• Recruiting activities
  • Hiring plans, interviews, casual interviews, etc.
• 1-on-1s with members
• Release coordination
• Coordination with the business side
• Responding to customer inquiries
  • Sometimes I even talk and interact with customers directly
• Firefighting
• Participating in meetings related to product decision-making

etc.

So, what was I doing regarding the technical side? It was mostly giving advice or making decisions on what other members were doing or proposing. (The so-called role of standing in the back with arms crossed saying, "Looks good!") I had almost stopped writing code and being hands-on.

Living through those days, I felt a conflict: "Even though I have the role of Tech Lead, am I really failing to contribute technically?" I spent my days worrying: Am I truly contributing to the organization? Am I failing to fulfill my originally expected role? Is it really okay for me to continue like this?

It was a gap between my role and reality.

Decision

After realizing the gap between my role and reality, I had many discussions with those around me. Sometimes I brought it up myself, and other times people told me, "Isn't that the work of an EM?" In fact, everyone I met told me so.

What I began to see was that while I was fixated on "technical contribution" as my form of output, there might be a different way for me to contribute to the organization's growth.

Recruitment, supporting member growth, cross-organizational coordination, and creating an environment where the team can operate smoothly. These are certainly different from technical contributions, but they are indispensable for organizational growth.

Fortunately, I didn't find the work I was doing to be a burden. It had just happened naturally. When I realized that EM was the role where I could leverage what I was already doing naturally to contribute to the organization's growth, my doubts vanished.

And so, I decided to be reincarnated as an EM.

What I Want to Achieve as an EM

Now that I've committed myself, I'll outline what I want to do as an EM. I don't know if this is the right answer, but here is a summary of what I'm thinking at the moment.

Supporting Members

I want to support each member so that they can exercise their full potential.

For example, if there are 10 members, I want to support them so that each person exerts not just ×1 power, but ×1.1 or more. That way, if there are 10 members who can exert ×1.1 power, the total becomes 11. This is a significant difference.

I'm still exploring what specifically I should do, but that's the image I have in mind.

While I'm still figuring it out, if a member wants to take on a challenge with new technology, I want to support that challenge and resolve any problems that act as obstacles. I want to create an environment where people can challenge themselves with what they want to do. I definitely want to do this.

Building a Team that Can Demand from Each Other

I want to build a team where members can demand things from each other.
By "demanding from each other," I mean a relationship where people can make suggestions like "Wouldn't it be better if we did this?" or "How about trying this?"

I always feel that there is no need for reservation at work.
For example, thinking "I'll wait until later because they look busy," or "Hmm, I want them to do it this way, but will it be a nuisance if I say so?" – there's no need for that kind of reservation. However, consideration is necessary.

I want to create a relationship where we can convey what is necessary while considering the other person's situation and engage in constructive dialogue.

Put simply, it's "I want you to do this. In return, I'll do this." I want to aim for a team and organization where this kind of exchange is possible.

Taking Action Myself

If I'm going to demand things from others, I need to be able to do them myself. Otherwise, I lack credibility. I want to grow along with the members, offering suggestions and pointing out improvements. I want to value an attitude where, if it's something no one has done before, I'm the first to try it.

Not Giving Up on Hands-on Work

Someone told me this: "Never stop being hands-on."

Even as an EM, I don't want to give up on writing code or actually being hands-on. Without technical understanding, it’s difficult to support members, and your sense of the field and judgment will become dull. Most of all, your decision-making will weaken. That's why I want to continue being hands-on and don't want to give it up, even as an EM.

I’ve always loved being hands-on, and it's part of my identity, so I want to cherish that feeling.

Yes. This might be the most important thing.

Conclusion

I shared the story of how I was reincarnated as an EM after overcoming my inner conflicts.
Moving forward, I want to do my best as an EM to contribute to the growth of the organization.

Happy New Year, everyone!