- An engineering manager's primary goal is to enable team and organizational success, not just individual contribution.
- EMs should 'fill the gaps' for their team, such as improving communication, adding technical seniority, or helping with tasks, and can either do this themselves or hire someone.
- There are two primary manager types: people managers (focused on growth, unblocking, and communication) and technical managers (focused on architecture, code reviews, and contributions). Being the best at both is not feasible due to time constraints.
- The ideal manager type depends on the team's needs: a technically strong team may need a people manager, while a newer team may benefit from a technical manager.