Holy Shit, I'm a Manager!engineering management first aid, from someone who lives it.
Nobody prepares you for this job. So you're sat there quietly losing it.
Should you still be coding? How do you have the conversation you've been rehearsing in the shower for a week? What does good even look like? And why is everyone else so calm?
52 bite-sized lessons, direct access to me, and the manual nobody handed you on day one. That's how you get the answers to your questions.
Enrol now · £400 One-time payment. Unlimited* access. No subscription.
I'm Val. Executive leader, certified coach, 18 years in tech, hands-on coder for 13 of them until I had to let it go. I've supported hundreds of tech leaders and run teams of 150+ people, and I learned some hard lessons you don't have to repeat.
I know exactly what that "holy shit, I'm a manager" moment feels like, because I lived it myself, without the support you're about to get.
This is the bit nobody hands you on day one
You got the promotion because you were good at the job. Now the job is making other people good at the job, and those are completely different jobs. Nobody told you that either.
So here's what you'll actually be able to do by the end:
- Run one-to-ones that don't suck the life out of you or them.
- Give feedback that lands, without anyone crying. Including you.
- Manage your boss as skillfully as you manage your team.
- Have the hard conversation you've been avoiding, and survive it.
- Keep your shit together when everything is on fire.
- Know what good looks like, so you stop guessing.
Come in feeling like an imposter. Leave feeling like you've got this.
How the course actually works
100% online. Self-paced. Fits around your actual job.
No videos. On purpose. Built for how engineering managers actually work, which is never "sitting down for 45 uninterrupted minutes with a notepad."
Everything is text. Open it in a tab, read it on your phone between meetings, ctrl+F when you need the bit about giving feedback to someone who cries.
- 50+ bite-sized lessons you can fit into the gaps in your day.
- Hands-on activities to practice in your actual job, not hypothetical scenarios.
- Reflective un-quizzes that make you think, not check if you were paying attention.
- Ask me directly via the discussion feature or Slack. I actually answer. Yes, me, actual Val.
- Unlimited* access with free updates.
- A certificate at the end, for when you want the receipt.
What's actually in this thing
Eight chapters. 50+ lessons. Built in the order the panic actually hits you. Don't take my word for it: a few lessons are free to read before you buy, marked below.
1Holy Shit, You're Here!3 lessons
- Welcome Free preview
- Sneaky Sneaky
- Quick Code of Conduct Reminder
2Holy Shit, What's My Job?14 lessons
- Flavours of Engineering Manager Free preview
- Your One Job Free preview
- Do I Need To Code? Free preview
- Staying Close to Engineering
- Boring Admin Tasks
- Core Activities
- Knowing Your Domain
- Knowing Your Team
- Measuring Team Effectiveness
- Manager vs Leader Hats
- WTF is a Senior Engineering Manager?
- Making A Plan
- End of Chapter Un-Quiz
- Holy Shit, Take A Breather (Part 1)
3Holy Shit, How Do I Know I'm Doing A Good Job?7 lessons
- Life in the Orchard
- Your Compass 1: Your Values
- Your Compass 2: Manager Mission
- Your Compass 3: Your Integrity
- Your Compass 4: Putting It Into Action
- Self-Sponsorship
- Holy Shit, Take A Breather (Part 2)
4Holy Shit, How Do I... People?8 lessons
- One-To-Ones 1: Logistics
- One-To-Ones 2: Finding The Gold
- Growth Conversations
- The Danger of Giving Advice
- The Art of Asking Questions
- Active Listening
- Coaching vs Mentoring
- Holy Shit, Take A Breather (Part 3)
5Holy Shit, How Do I Build Trust?9 lessons
- Building Trust
- Psychological Safety
- Empathy
- Being An Ally
- Conflict Management
- Managing Your Boss
- Managing Your Peers
- Managing Your Product Manager
- Holy Shit, Take A Breather (Part 4)
6Holy Shit, How Do I Handle Feedback?7 lessons
- Getting Feedback 1: Asking
- Getting Feedback 2: Receiving
- Giving Feedback 1: Getting the Conditions Right
- Giving Feedback 2: Say No To The Shit Sandwich
- Giving Feedback 3: Situation, Behaviour, Impact
- Giving Feedback 4: Radical Candor
- Holy Shit, Take A Breather (Part 5)
7Holy Shit, How Do I Do All This?7 lessons
- Managing All This Shit
- Keeping Your Shit Together
- The Cult Of Busy
- Meetings That Don't Suck
- Delegate That Shit
- Flow State as a Manager
- Holy Shit, Take A Breather (Part 6)
8Holy Shit, We Did It!1 lesson
- Congratulations!
Real managers saying real things
"I highly recommend this for new or aspiring engineering managers. It covers so many important topics succinctly. Each one is packed with valuable insights, actionable advice and activities that really make you apply what you've learned."
"Despite being an EM for a few years, it was alarming how much I didn't know, but reassuring to see it so clearly defined. I've done various management courses, none with this scope and emotional depth. Come for the raccoons, stay for the personal growth."
"Compact and impactful. It combines actionable steps with insightful reflection exercises, and tackles the questions EMs moving from individual contributor roles actually ask, like measuring success and entering flow state. I recommend it to all EMs."
"A great overview of the new skills you need moving into the role, bite-sized enough that it doesn't feel overwhelming, plus a great book list for when you're ready to go deep into whichever area you need most."
"As a well-seasoned EM, the feedback sections are rich gold. 'Don't ask for feedback, ask for advice' just had not resonated until now, perhaps because I'd recently fallen foul of exactly that. Loving it."
"A great baseline for new managers and seasoned ones alike. The amount of times I felt 'seen' by this course, and the mistakes I've made that led me to reflect and get into a-ha moments. Highly recommend."
"Holy shit, I have learned so much. This course is fantastic: concise, powerful, meaningful and full of great extra resources. I'll probably spend a whole year reading all the books listed, and I'm grateful for the suggestions."
"I'm so impressed by the way Val extracted, distilled, structured and served all of it. I also loved how the tests really check whether you've been paying attention. Common sense isn't always enough to pass them. Highly recommend it to freshly minted and seasoned managers alike."
"A beautiful course. Bite-sized digestible concepts, some new and some known, and very enjoyable, refreshingly written. One of the few courses I've been eager to read through."
"Very well structured and easy to follow. I like the thoughts section at the end of each chapter and the activities that help me ponder and action what I can do hands-on. I'd recommend it to any leaders-to-be, from Leads and EMs to C-level."
"Great course and amazing insights, methods and all-around knowledge. It will be crucial for becoming a better human and co-worker, and my team-members current and future will benefit from what I apply from it. Thank you for distilling this gem."
"A super course for engineering managers of all levels. The topics are full of valuable, actionable advice. There were a number of 'a-ha' moments that will directly contribute to my growth as an engineering manager."
Sort your shit out
The whole course
£400 one-time payment
Everything I wish someone had handed me when I first became a manager. Real experience, no corporate bullshit, no AI-generated filler.
- 50+ lessons, activities and un-quizzes
- Direct access to me via Slack and discussion
- 10-year access with free updates
- Certificate on completion
- Pay once. No subscription, ever.
Most managers expense this through their L&D budget. Paid via PayPal. "Enrol" takes you to the course platform (yes, it's the right place, don't worry, see the FAQ).
Questions you're probably about to ask
Who is this for?
Anyone running a team of roughly 5 to 10 people in an engineering management capacity. If you're responsible for line management, stakeholder management, and delivering tech projects, this is for you. You might be a startup CTO, a tech lead, or an Engineering Manager by title. New or seasoned, both get plenty out of it.
How long does it take?
50+ lessons. Roughly a month and a half to two months. If you really go for it with coffee and passion a few weeks. But you've got unlimited* access, so there's no rush.
How do I pay?
Via PayPal, at checkout. One payment, done.
Why does "Enrol" take me to a weird URL?
When you hit enrol you'll land on the course platform at a slightly unhinged address (trainercentralsite.eu). That's the right place. The course genuinely lives there, and the course player itself is lovely. They wanted extra money for a custom domain, I wanted a nice landing page, and I refuse to be extorted over a URL. So should you. Weird link, real course, all good.
Do I have to join the Slack community?
No, it's completely optional. I recommend it though, because it connects you to other managers you can share and learn from, and it's where you can DM me directly. You can also pop your answers to the course questions in the forum for me to see and respond to.
Will I get a certificate?
Yes, one is issued at the end of the course.
Why is there an asterisk on unlimited access?
Honesty. Access is tied to this platform being up and running. I have no plans to go anywhere, but in the unlikely event I ever shut down or migrate to a new platform, I'll give you as much notice as possible. The platform makes me set it to 10 years. If you're not nailing being an EM in 10 years well. We should talk. Full details are in the terms and conditions.
How come there's no cookie banner?
Because I don't use Google Analytics, Hotjar, or any other intrusive tracking. I use Simple Analytics, which I pay for, and it doesn't store any PII about you. None. You can get some free stuff from them using this referral link.
What if there's a problem?
Contact me anytime via the contact form or message me on LinkedIn. Once you're signed up you can also DM me directly in the Slack community. I aim to respond within 1 to 2 days, unless I'm on holiday somewhere with terrible internet.
Still reading? You already know you need this. Come in feeling like an imposter, leave feeling like you've got this.
