If you're an Engineering Manager who used to code every day, it’s only natural to miss it.
The clarity. The flow. The joy of shipping something with your own hands.

But now you spend more time in meetings, coaching, and decision-making. The dopamine hits are fewer and farther between.

So… how do you stay energized without becoming a bottleneck for your team?

Let’s break it down.

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First, It’s Okay to Miss It

Missing code doesn’t mean you’re in the wrong role.
It means you care deeply about the craft.

Many EMs wrestle with this tension. You don’t want to fully let go, but you also don’t want to step on your team’s toes.

Good news: you don’t have to choose between leading and building — you just need to be intentional about how you engage with the work.

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Reconnect Without Taking Ownership

Here are some low-risk, high-reward ways to stay close to code:

• 🔧 Fix a one-off bug — especially if it's not time-sensitive
• 🛠️ Contribute to internal tooling or cleanup efforts
• 💡 Spike a prototype to explore an idea before handing it off
• 🧪 Play in personal side projects to stay sharp without creating dependencies
• 📖 Read and review PRs to stay familiar with the codebase and patterns

All of these keep you engaged without creating blockers for your team.

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Be Honest About the Tradeoffs

The worst thing you can do is commit to a task you don’t have time for — and then leave the team waiting.

So ask yourself:

• Will someone be blocked if I don’t finish this on time?
• Am I doing this to help the team, or to satisfy my own itch?
• Can I hand it off easily if priorities shift?

Your team is watching how you show up — not just what you ship.

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Make Room for Technical Joy

You might not be writing code daily anymore, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy technical depth.

Stay energized by:

• Mentoring on design docs or architecture reviews
• Hosting internal tech talks or learning sessions
• Exploring a new tool, language, or concept on weekends
• Pairing occasionally just to learn, not to own

Being technical isn’t just about committing code. It’s about being curious, engaged, and fluent in your team’s domain.

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If You Really Miss Coding…

It’s worth asking: is this a signal you want to return to an IC path?

That’s a valid and respected move at many companies today — especially if you want more time in the weeds and less in people problems.

But don’t drift. Choose it intentionally. If you like coding too much to let go, maybe EM isn’t your long-term path — and that’s okay too.

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Final Thoughts

Missing code doesn’t make you less of a leader.
But clinging to it at the expense of your team’s growth does.

So scratch the itch smartly. Stay sharp without being a bottleneck. And find your new rhythm — one where you still get to build, even if you're not the one deploying every feature.

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EMs: What do you do when you miss the feeling of building? I'd love to hear your strategies.