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Business acumen

As explained in Think Like a Software Engineering Manager

Business acumen is the ability to understand organizational goals, financial drivers, revenue, and business performance measures.

An engineering manager needs to understand the business as well as the technology. Business acumen means understanding organizational goals, performance metrics, financial considerations such as capital expenditure, revenue streams, and objectives and key results (OKRs). section 1.1.3

Keep learning on both sides of the role:

  • Ask which organizational goals and measures matter when guiding a team. section 1.1.3
  • Pair that understanding with technical expertise; admit gaps and find useful resources rather than pretending to know every answer. section 1.1.3

How Think Like a Software Engineering Manager covers it

How deep it goes
Defines it through goals, metrics, capital expenditure, revenue streams, and OKRs without providing financial calculations.
Examples
Illustrates the paired learning mindset through a manager helping an engineer investigate an unfamiliar technical choice.
What you can do after
Practice/perform it by learning the goals, financial considerations, revenue streams, and measures relevant to a team’s work.
How it connects
Links it to technical acumen, continuous learning, and objectives and key results.
Cover of Think Like a Software Engineering Manager
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This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Think Like a Software Engineering Manager. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.