Lessons Learned: From IC to First-Time Manager

Stepping into your first manager role in game product management is both exciting and daunting. I still remember my first week — I thought I’d be spending my time on strategy and big-picture planning. Instead, I found myself juggling three competing priorities, a last-minute feature change, and a teammate in tears.

As an IC (individual contributor), success often comes from your own output — how well you analyze, execute, and deliver. As a manager, your success shifts to how well you enable others to perform. This transition requires a new mindset, new skills, and an awareness of common pitfalls.

In this post, I’ll share the lessons I learned when moving from IC to first-time manager in the data-driven mobile games space, along with the challenges and solutions that helped me grow.

Phase 1 – Shifting Your Mindset

1. Letting Go of Being “The Expert”

One of the hardest mental shifts is realizing that your value is no longer in being the best at the work itself. As a manager, your role is bigger than just you — it’s about creating an environment where the entire team can succeed.

Mindset shift:

• Accept that your primary contribution is now enabling and amplifying others’ impact.
• Measure success by the team’s outcomes, not your individual contributions.
• Focus on removing blockers, clarifying priorities, and orchestrating collaboration.

Why it matters: Holding onto the “expert” identity keeps you in the weeds and limits your team’s potential. Shifting your identity to “enabler of excellence” unlocks scale, innovation, and trust.

2. Avoiding Micromanagement and Building Trust

Even after letting go of being the expert, it’s easy to slip into micromanaging — especially when you care about the outcome. But micromanagement signals a lack of trust and often slows your team down.

What worked for me:

• Set clear goals and outcomes so the team understands what success looks like without needing step-by-step oversight.
• Ask, don’t dictate. Use questions to guide problem-solving rather than providing immediate answers.
• Give space for mistakes — they’re part of growth. Step in only when the impact or risk is high.
• Build the skill of reading signals — know when to step in versus when to let the team work through a challenge.

Why it matters: Trust empowers your team to take ownership, think creatively, and bring you solutions you wouldn’t have come up with yourself.

3. Setting Expectations and Raising Standards

When you first lead a team, expectations aren’t just for them — they’re also for you. But great managers don’t just set expectations — they set standards that define what good looks like and push the team toward excellence.

For yourself:

• Recognize that your output is now measured in team performance.
• Build time for coaching and feedback into your weekly rhythm.
• Accept that you won’t be the expert in every detail anymore.
• Model the excellence you want to see.

For your team:

• Define the "what" and the "why" — let them own the "how."
• Clarify priorities, especially when trade-offs are inevitable.
• Establish clear quality standards and revisit them often.
• Establish working norms early.

Pro tip: Standards aren’t static — they evolve with the team’s growth. Document them, share them, and use them to continually raise the bar.

Phase 2 – Equipping Yourself and the Team

4. Communicating Ideas Out of Your Head — and Why Frameworks Help

One of the hardest parts of leadership is translating the vision in your head into something others can act on.

Challenges:

• You may move faster in your thinking than your team can follow.
• Complex ideas lose clarity when communicated ad hoc.
• Without structure, you risk misalignment or confusion.

Why frameworks help:

• They provide a repeatable way to explain complex concepts without prescribing every action.
• They guide the thinking process by highlighting the key factors to consider, while leaving space for others to draw their own conclusions.
• They create shared language across the team, so discussions stay grounded in the same concepts.

Example: Using a simple problem-definition framework — Problem → Goal → Options → Recommendation — focuses conversations on the important elements and ensures you’re not skipping steps, while still allowing team members to propose their own solutions.

5. Giving and Receiving Feedback

Feedback is no longer optional — it’s your job.

Giving feedback:

• Make it frequent and specific.
• Focus on behaviors and outcomes, not personalities.
• Use a feedback framework like the “compliment sandwich” (positive → constructive → positive) or the SBI model (Situation → Behavior → Impact) to provide structure.
• Recognize that different ICs have different needs for feedback and praise — some thrive on public recognition, others prefer private 1:1 discussions. Have these conversations early so you create a welcoming and motivating environment for everyone.

Receiving feedback:

• Invite it regularly from your team and peers.
• Model how to receive it with openness and curiosity.

Why it matters: A feedback culture fosters continuous improvement and psychological safety.

6. Time Management & Context Switching

When you become a manager, you get busier — there’s simply less time for your own work. Learn how to become more efficient and intentional with your time. Block off time to actually think or do deep work, because much of your other time will be dictated by the needs of your team.

How to cope:

• Protect deep work time.
• Group similar tasks to reduce mental load.
• Use rituals — 1:1s, weekly planning, end-of-week reviews.

Pro tip: If you’re constantly in reactive mode, you’re not leading — you’re firefighting.

Phase 3 – Building and Sustaining the Team

7. Hiring the Right Talent for Your Needs

Your first hires shape not just the work, but the culture and trajectory of your team. As a first-time manager, it’s easy to default to hiring people who think like you. Resist that urge.

Steps I learned to take:

• Identify the gaps in your current team’s skills and experience.
• Hire for diversity of thought — different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives lead to more innovative solutions.
• Distinguish between hard skills (technical ability, tools, domain knowledge) and soft skills (communication, collaboration, adaptability). Hard skills are often easier to teach; soft skills are harder to change.
• Never compromise on culture fit — no one wants to work with the brilliant but toxic "asshole" who erodes trust and morale.
• Accept that you will make hiring mistakes. Some people are naturally great interviewers but may not be a fit once on the job. The key is to recognize the mismatch quickly and act decisively — exit fast to protect team health and momentum.
• Think about the type of team you want to lead — collaborative, autonomous, innovative — and hire people who embody those qualities.
• Use structured interview processes to reduce bias and ensure fairness.

Why it matters: The right hires multiply your team’s impact. The wrong ones can slow momentum and create misalignment that takes months to fix.

8. Managing Former Peers

Managing former peers is awkward — recognize it, accept it, and address it openly. Talk it out if you need to, but be transparent and act like adults to figure out how you can still work together respectfully. Earn their respect as a manager just like you would with anyone else.

What to watch out for:

• Avoid favoritism.
• Reset boundaries while maintaining respect.
• Be transparent about your role shift.

Tip: Treat everyone equally in feedback, opportunities, and recognition.

9. Advocating for Your Team Upwards

You’re the bridge between your team and leadership.

What this means:

• Represent your team’s achievements.
• Give people the stage to present their own work to leadership or other teams — it builds their visibility and confidence.
• Shield them from unnecessary scope changes and thrash.
• Push for resources with clear business cases.

Why it matters: Advocacy builds trust with your team, helps them grow professionally, and strengthens your credibility with leadership.

Closing

Transitioning from IC to manager is as much about personal growth as it is about team performance. You’ll learn to step back, empower others, communicate more clearly, and build the right team for your vision. These skills not only make you a better manager — they make you a better leader for the long term.