Book · 2017
The Manager's Path
by Camille Fournier
A software engineer becomes a tech lead, then a manager, then a director, and the book insists on teaching you each rung separately.
Catalogue record: Open Library · ★ 4.3 (22 ratings)
What does Reddit think of The Manager's Path?
r/ExperiencedDevs treats The Manager's Path less like a recommendation and more like shared vocabulary. The ↑135 comment cites its 30/60/90 day onboarding structure as something a real workplace should be running, and traces some companies' 90-day probation length back to that same idea. The ↑103 comment reaches for the book's 'Management 101' label to explain a team with no onboarding and managers who don't know what they're doing, which is a diagnosis, not a cure. The ↑226 comment is a tech lead, not yet a manager, reading it to confirm the job is structurally thankless rather than a sign of personal failure. r/cscareerquestions runs a version of the same conversation at a more junior register, mostly about what makes a good team lead. One r/datascience mention and one r/sysadmin mention suggest the book travels a little; 76 of 108 recognized mentions sitting in a single subreddit suggests it hasn't traveled far yet.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · The 30/60/90 day onboarding framework getting cited as an actual workplace fix
- · The human side of the job: crying in 1:1s, firing someone, a VP tearing into you
- · Used as a 'Management 101' label for diagnosing a team that's already broken
- · A career ladder book, tech lead through director, more than a single-role manual
Common praise
- + The ↑226 comment names the book specifically for calling the TL job 'a thankless job,' and says that matches every team they've worked on.
- + The ↑135 comment says onboarding should copy the book's 30/60/90 day structure, and traces some companies' 90-day probation length back to it.
- + The ↑103 comment reaches for 'Management 101' from the book to name what's wrong with a shop where 'managers have no idea what they are doing.'
Common criticism
- − It gets cited as a diagnosis more than a fix: the ↑103 and ↑226 threads both use it to name what's broken, not to report the advice working.
- − The book is overwhelmingly an r/ExperiencedDevs and r/cscareerquestions phenomenon; the single r/datascience and single r/sysadmin appearances aren't evidence it travels outside software teams.
- − The ↑165 comment's list of firsts — the first cry in a 1:1, the first firing — reads like a warning label as much as an endorsement, and nobody displayed disputes it.
Who it's for
If you just got handed your first tech lead title and nobody handed you a manual, this is apparently the manual — r/ExperiencedDevs keeps pointing new TLs at its 30/60/90 day onboarding structure. Middle managers diagnosing a broken team reach for its 'Management 101' label the way other subs reach for Clean Code. It's a thinner case outside software entirely: one r/datascience mention and one r/sysadmin mention don't add up to a cross-industry track record.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for The Manager's Path?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“Echoing your sentiment. Everywhere I've worked the TL job has been over loaded. I'm reading a book called The Managers Path right now and the author even notes how much of a thankless job it is. Unfortunately, right now it seems like it's a necessary evil to move to the next level.
“Explicitly ask your team how they prefer to be managed. Some people work better with greater autonomy, others want more defined direction. One size doesn't fit all. Be vulnerable. Admit to your team that you will make mistakes, set the expectation that it's okay to mess up as long as we learn from …
“the human side: * first time someone cries in a 1on1 * first time a VP rips you a new ass, or you have to tell someone well above you on the org chart they're wrong * the first time you fire someone * the first time you really miss something and have to rebuild a team's trust in you Managing h…
“read 30/60/90 days from managers path. Every onboarding needs to have expectation every 30 days. It is why probation is 90 days in some companies
“You will need to understand that your role now is less technical and more people related. 1on1s will be super important for you. It will let you know the state of the team. But dont wait to those meetings to give feedback, more if its about something negative. I recommend reading The Managers …
“Congrats for your new role. I believe senior is more about people management. So, my suggestions are 1. An Elegant Puzzle: Systems of Engineering Management 2. [The Manager\`s Path](
“One of the defining characteristics of moving up, is that there is no structured checklist. He might do well to read The Managers Path and The Staff Engineers Path.
“What worked for me was to read a bunch of book (Managers Path, etc.) and to talk to other leads at the company I work at. Managing is very different between companies. The sooner you can start learning from other leads the better (and a lot of your job will be communicating with them).
“>I've been subtly providing feedback on their areas of improvement but they're not reading between the lines that they're not ready. wow what? Am going to be honest with you man as an EM <-> EM. If i was your report, i would honestly not like working with you. Feedback needs to be direct and straig…
“>I've been assigned to manage team of ~10 software engineers - their skills level are mediocre, despite average of 5-10 years of experience each There is nothing wrong with being average. Most engineers are around there. Having a few lower performers in a 10 people team can happen, but having 10 …
“If you are a Senior Developer, you need to know how to grow your leadership skills, and you should learn about Tech Lead, Staff Engineer, and Engineering Manager roles. It will help you cooperate better with those roles and allow you to choose your path. * How To Be A Tech Lead by Michael Rice. …
“Understand that you're switching jobs to one that has very little to do with engineering and trying to continue even a bit of engineering work will most likely make you a worse manager. And do read The Managers Path before making the jump so you're sure about what you're getting into... and if you …
“Read "A Manager's Path" by Camille Fournier. Leadership isn't necessarily a path to more income -- it is a different career. I am a Sr. Director and I make the same amount as the most senior technical staff. You just listed a bunch of technologies -- how many of those do you actually *know*? Ulti…
“Hey, check out The Manager's Path by Camille Fournier. It's an industry favorite for navigating lead & managerial-esque roles in the tech world
“I don't find a lot of material specific to technical management since it's no different than normal management for skilled workers. (Edit: I lied. The first two books in the reading list are EM specific.) An engineering background helps you gain the team's trust if you can demonstrate competency, i…
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Ranked best-of lists and editorial guides where this book's tracked mentions place it.
The Manager's Path — frequently asked
Is The Manager's Path only useful once you're already a manager?+
No. The ↑226 comment is from someone still a tech lead, not a manager, reading it to understand why the TL role feels like 'a thankless job.' r/ExperiencedDevs treats it as pre-promotion reading as often as post-promotion reading.
Does The Manager's Path actually help with onboarding new hires?+
That's the specific claim in the ↑135 comment, which says onboarding should copy the book's 30/60/90 day structure and credits it for why some companies run 90-day probation periods. Nobody displayed disputes the framework, but nobody shows it failing either.
Is The Manager's Path relevant outside software engineering?+
Barely tested here. Of 108 recognized mentions, nearly all sit in r/ExperiencedDevs and r/cscareerquestions; the sole r/datascience and r/sysadmin appearances aren't enough to call it cross-industry, whatever the book itself claims.
What does r/ExperiencedDevs actually use The Manager's Path for?+
Diagnosis, mostly. The ↑103 comment cites its 'Management 101' framing to explain a workplace with no onboarding and a tech-debt pile, and the ↑226 comment uses it to name why the TL role is structurally thankless. It shows up more as a naming tool for what's broken than a fix people report trying.