[itsArtur]

> A lot of people who I knew as sympathetic and calm before they took management roles turned into something I could code in one minute: namely a program that asks "how much is this going to take?" and if your answer is above N hours/days then they say "no, we're not doing it". And that's not because they are stupid or suddenly non-sympathetic. It's because their bosses optimize for those metrics and measure them (and their salary, and their bonuses, and even their vacation days) by the same metrics.

I had this exact same thought recently when reflecting on my behavior in my new role as a "technical product owner". All of it was reflexive, as if I suddenly forgot all of the software engineering knowledge I accumulated over the years and became a deadline-driven cog.

I don't have a solution yet; I think it comes down to that I don't yet speak the same language that people I report to do, and thus I feel like I can't defend my position well enough. It comes with experience, I guess!

[pdimitar]

Part of what makes you an enabler of programmers -- and not just a guy who screams "faster! harder!" -- is to be able to push back a little.

There's sadly an inherent conflict of interest between the people doing the job on the ground (programmers) and the rulers (managers).

Your job is to find the middle ground -- not to completely side with your higher-ups.

That would be a good starting point for you IMO.