It's mostly because the dev team is geographically disperse (India/Boston/Seattle). I also have to meet with customers occasionally and of course they could be anywhere.
Don't want to turn this into a reddit AMA but .. would be nice to hear how you managed your transition to management. Did you read any books or blogs that helped? I was in a similar situation and have basically been emulating the style of previous managers - not sure how the team feels but I'm in a bit of a funk - feel like I'm letting myself down.
Solid recommendations. I would also suggest books and content by Michael Lopp, aka Rands. He's gone from engineer to high profile manager and his work is solid. "Managing Humans" is a particular favourite and seems to be well received by engineers and leads making the transition.