Being an engineering manager isn’t just about leading teams and attending meetings. You also need to have solid technical skills.

After all, how can you guide your team through technical challenges if you don’t understand the nuts and bolts yourself?

Therefore, it's crucial to have a solid grasp of technical skills as an engineering manager, even if you’re not coding every day.

Two key areas you'll need to be proficient in are data structures and system design. These skills help you guide your team effectively, understand their challenges, and make informed decisions.

Let’s discuss the top concepts you need to know in each area.

1. Data Structures

Understanding data structures is fundamental for any engineering manager. They help you write efficient code and solve complex problems.

Here are the top 10 concepts to focus on:

• Arrays
• Linked Lists
• Stacks
• Queues
• Hash Tables
• Trees
• Graphs
• Heaps
• Tries
• Dynamic Arrays

What Questions To Expect

1. Explain the differences between an array and a linked list.

2. How would you implement a stack using an array?

3. How do you reverse a linked list?

4. Explain how hash tables work and discuss collision resolution techniques.

5. How would you find the middle element of a linked list in a single pass?

6. Explain the difference between a binary tree and a binary search tree.

7. How would you implement a queue using two stacks?

8. Describe how a trie is used to store a dictionary.

9. How would you detect a cycle in a directed graph?

10. Explain the concept of dynamic programming with an example.

Check out our detailed course on Data Structures and algorithms to build a solid foundation.

2. System Design

System design is about building scalable and efficient systems. It’s a crucial skill for an engineering manager, as it involves making high-level decisions about the architecture of software projects.

Here are the top 10 concepts to master:

• Load Balancing
• Caching
• Database Scaling
• Microservices Architecture
• API Design
• Data Partitioning
• Message Queues
• Content Delivery Networks (CDNs)
• Failover and Redundancy
• Security and Authentication

What Questions To Expect

1. How would you design a URL shortening service like TinyURL?

2. How would you design a large-scale distributed chat application like WhatsApp?

3. Design a ride-sharing service like Uber.

4. How would you design a file storage system like Dropbox?

5. How would you design a scalable search engine?

6. Design a content delivery network (CDN).

7. How would you design a social media feed system like Facebook’s News Feed?

8. How would you design a payment gateway system?

9. Design an online book store like Amazon.

10. How would you design a recommendation system?

For an intensive explanation and complete coverage of concepts, try our course on System Design Fundamentals.