Code, Leadership & the Remote Dev Life

Category: Management

Insights on managing PHP projects, teams, and workflows—covering everything from sprint planning to stakeholder communication.

  • Hiring PHP Developers in 2025: What I Look For (And What I Ignore)

    Hiring PHP Developers in 2025: What I Look For (And What I Ignore)

    Hiring a PHP developer in 2025 isn’t what it used to be. Gone are the days when “knows Laravel” or “can write SQL joins” was enough to get my attention. Over the years, I’ve refined what I look for—and just as importantly, what I don’t care about anymore. Let me walk you through what matters…

  • How to Manage a High-Performing PHP Team Without Overengineering Your Workflow

    How to Manage a High-Performing PHP Team Without Overengineering Your Workflow

    Managing a high-performing PHP team can sometimes feel like juggling flaming chainsaws while riding a unicycle. There’s a constant urge to do more—add more tools, more processes, more layers of abstraction—all in the name of productivity and scalability. But here’s the kicker: sometimes, all that “more” ends up doing less for your team. I’ve led…

  • Scaling PHP Projects: Management Tactics That Actually Work for Remote Teams

    Scaling PHP Projects: Management Tactics That Actually Work for Remote Teams

    Scaling a PHP project while leading a remote team can feel like juggling fire—with one hand tied behind your back. The good news? It’s not magic. It’s management. And if you do it right, it actually scales. Here’s what’s worked for me. 1. Codebase ≠ Product ≠ Project This sounds obvious, but it’s a trap…

  • What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Dev Manager

    What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Dev Manager

    When I first stepped into a dev manager role, I thought I had a pretty good handle on what was coming. I’d been around long enough, led a few projects, mentored juniors, dealt with deadlines. Seemed like a natural next step. Spoiler: I was wrong. Becoming a dev manager isn’t a promotion—it’s a whole new…

  • Aligning Roadmaps With Team Capacity

    Aligning Roadmaps With Team Capacity

    Early in my career, roadmaps felt like a wishlist. Marketing wanted X, sales wanted Y, and we—engineering—were somehow supposed to make it all happen. And when we couldn’t, we were labeled blockers. It took years (and more than a few failed quarters) to realize the issue wasn’t execution. It was misalignment. We were promising more…

  • Setting Boundaries: Managing Workload, Not Just Projects

    Setting Boundaries: Managing Workload, Not Just Projects

    There’s a difference between managing projects and managing workload—and I learned that the hard way. Years ago, I was tracking all the right things: timelines, tickets, blockers. Everything looked “green” on the outside. But inside the team, people were burning out. Quietly working late. Missing lunch. Pulling weekend hours they weren’t talking about. The projects…

  • Keeping Morale High During Crunch Time

    Keeping Morale High During Crunch Time

    Crunch time. Two words that make most developers groan and most managers sweat. No matter how well you plan, estimate, or try to keep the team agile and lean, there’s always that moment when a deadline barrels toward you like a freight train, and suddenly it’s all hands on deck. It’s stressful. It’s exhausting. But…