Archive - The Grumpy Manager

Build your own user manual

People are not telepaths. Things run better with a README.

Feb 17 • Vladimir Weinstein

Networking for People Who Would Rather Be Coding

How to build influence when you have the social battery of an iPhone 4.

Feb 10 • Vladimir Weinstein

Three Magic Words for Better Engineering Conversations

Product Managers speak a different language. Here is how to translate "Engineering Bluntness" into "Product Strategy."

Feb 3 • Vladimir Weinstein

January 2026

The Scarcity Mindset: Why Your "Outdated" Anxiety is Now a Superpower

For 15 years, Silicon Valley rewarded the "Abundance Mindset." Now, the bill is due, and the engineers who grew up with nothing are the ones who can fix…

Jan 27 • Vladimir Weinstein

How to Disagree with your Manager Without Getting Fired (or: The Art of the "Soft No")

Why your "honest feedback" sounds like "insubordination"—and the one technique that fixes it.

Jan 20 • Vladimir Weinstein

Why Being "Correct" Isn't Enough

Bridging the Gap Between Slavic Engineering Culture and Big Tech Leadership

Jan 14 • Vladimir Weinstein

Coming Soon: Engineering Leadership Without the Fluff

Things break because we come to work. Here is how we fix them.

Jan 10 • Vladimir Weinstein

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