Engineer-turned-manager shares key lessons from 90 days writing about team culture

A software engineering manager who spent nearly two decades observing organizational dysfunction launched a publication to argue that passive engineer behavior stems from broken systems, not individual shortcomings. After 90 days of writing, the author found that the problem resonated far more widely than expected, with managers and engineers alike recognizing the patterns described. Early posts on Reddit drew skeptical or dismissive responses, while quieter readers — particularly struggling managers — engaged less visibly but more meaningfully. The author notes a distinct perspective shaped by having been both an individual contributor and a manager, which they believe differentiates their writing from typical management commentary. The core takeaway from the experience is that systemic issues like ineffective Agile transformations and disengaged refinement sessions are industry-wide norms, not isolated edge cases.