Thirteen Direct Reports and a Prayer [22]

Show notes

An SE leader scaled from three to thirteen direct reports in eighteen months before getting team leads approved. By the time he got the structure, he wasn't coaching anyone — he was doing triage.

What Nate and Ava discuss

• The hidden cost of "I can still manage them all" — strategic work, enablement programs, hiring ahead of demand
• Why you should start building the team-lead case at six to eight direct reports, not thirteen
• How to spot your informal leaders before the formal role exists — and avoid the classic mistake of promoting your top performer into a job they'll hate

The move

If you have more than six direct reports and your team is still growing, start the team-lead conversation with your leadership today. Build the case around what you could be doing with freed-up capacity — and start identifying the SEs other SEs already go to for advice. Don't wait until you're drowning to ask for a lifeboat.

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