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Tell me about a time you had to make an unpopular decision...
Startup CTO
Tell me about a time you had to make an unpopular decision with your team. What was the situation and how did you handle it?
Last year, I decided to pause all feature work for two sprints to pay down critical tech debt. The team was frustrated because we had just committed to a product roadmap with tight deadlines...
That sounds like a tough call. How did you communicate this decision to the team, and how did you get their buy-in?
I held a team meeting where I showed them our incident data — we'd had 3 production outages in 6 weeks, all caused by the same legacy service. I framed it as an investment: two sprints now would save us months of firefighting...
Tap to speak
Tell me about a time you had to make an unpopular decision with your team.
- Used concrete data (3 outages in 6 weeks) to justify the decision
- Demonstrated clear stakeholder communication by presenting a comparison framework
- Could quantify the impact more — what was the cost of each outage?
- Consider mentioning how you measured success after the tech debt sprint
Your answer demonstrates strong situational awareness by using incident data to frame the decision. To elevate further, quantify the business impact and tie the investment to measurable outcomes...
“We were averaging 3 P1 incidents per month. I gathered data, calculated 120h of engineering time lost, and presented a trade-off analysis to leadership...”
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The Engineering Manager's Field Guide
Tactics for Building, Leading, and Scaling High-Performance Tech Teams
"Read it on a Sunday. Apply something new by Monday."
50 Engineering Manager
Templates
Access 50 templates to streamline your processes and boost your productivity
Used by engineering leaders at
Project Exec. Summary
Template for an executive summary of any new project your team takes on.
Free AccessAccessPrioritization Framework
Use this powerful framework to prioritize your team's work effectively.
Free AccessTry NowImage Optimizer
Optimize your images to reduce file size and improve website performance.
Free AccessTry nowSystem Design Tools
Here are some system design principles and tools.
Delivery Management
Here are some delivery management tools.
About me
I'm Stephane Moreau, a Senior Engineering Manager based in London, UK, with over a decade of experience leading high-performing teams in tech.
Whether you're transitioning into leadership for the first time or looking to refine your skills as an experienced manager, I'm here to provide the guidance and support you need to excel in your next role.
Oliver Hedges
Senior Data Engineer at Egress (acquired by KnowBe4)
I learnt so much from Stephane and he is the best engineering manager I have ever had.
He consistently ensured everyone was always aligned, even amidst competing priorities and challenging projects.
His ability to manage multiple work streams and senior stakeholders while remaining calm under pressure was invaluable to our team's success.
Stephane brought structure and process where it was most needed, helping us meet key deadlines while aligning our work with the company’s essential priorities.
Tal Ophir
Senior Engineering Manager at Mimecast
He is the sort of leader that his team loves, although, and perhaps because, he does not shy away from tough conversations when they are required, hence creating a true environment of growth and learning.
Aneel Marshall
Software Engineer at Trustpilot
He has helped me prepare to transition to a new career and has been incredibly helpful.
Stephane has assisted me with career planning, understanding my skillset and how best to effectively market myself.
He is extremely proactive and highly knowledgeable. I have learnt a lot from him passing on his vast experience, and I would highly recommend Stephane as a mentor.
Kirolus Ghattas
Co-founder | X2 SaaS Exits
Working with Stephane has guaranteed achieving high-quality results on tight deadlines.
Anna Keyzers
Staff Data Engineer at Egress (acquired by KnowBe4)
He is undoubtedly in your corner, completely vested in helping you grow, but also not afraid to give feedback.
He brought with him processes that unblocked the team and made it run smoothly.
I learnt so much from him, the assertive yet gentle communication style will be something I will practice in the future.
The breath of his experience is impressive, but it's the mindset of always learning and constantly improving that makes him a stellar manager.
Taranjeet Singh
Principal Software Engineer at Mimecast
My favourite has been his application of Intent-Based Leadership principles in our conversations which has had a lasting impact on my personality at work and personal life.
Mariyana Ivanova
Tech Lead at Sky
One of the things I really like about him is that he helps colleagues with the resources to achieve the best results. He shows a sincere interest in colleagues, projects and the solutions of the problems.
I have been lucky to work with him.
Adam Linford
Head of Engineering at AXA Health
He is passionate about technology, and has a good product-level understanding, enabling him to engineer solutions to requirements that fit the business purpose.
Always willing to help, listen, and lend a hand.
James Drake
Principal Technical Program Manager at Mimecast
Just some words I'd use to describe Stephane.
I've worked alongside Stephane during his time at Mimecast and have seen his considerable contribution to the organisation.
To name a few positive impacts: growing those around him into highly effective and engaged team members, not only fostering the company's culture but ensuring its continued growth as we go through significant changes.
Stephane speaks with conviction and leads by example. People gravitate towards him as a personable, positive and friendly face that is technically excellent.
Carlo Feudo
Senior Director of Engineering at TechTarget
I was impressed to appreciate how quickly he grew to be a true leader, capable of bringing empathy and integrity to every occasion, as well as fostering an inclusive culture and embracing the true meaning of psychological safety.
Iñigo Toro Hernandez
Technical Team Leader at IG Group
Christopher Kondov
Head of Operations at Umony Limited
As a character, he is honest and outgoing, and even though I met him fairly recently, he is a true friend and someone I have a great understanding with.
At Voxygen, Stephane was the top authority when it comes to web design and development, and it’s thanks to him that a stable and user-friendly, yet sophisticated portal was developed.