First-time managers
You were promoted because you were great at the work. Now the work is people, and nobody showed you how.
- Running 1:1s that actually matter
- Giving hard feedback without losing trust
- Managing people who do the work you used to do
Coaching for people leaders
Get through the leadership transitions that break most people.
One-on-one coaching for first-time managers and for established leaders scaling a team past 30 people.
Over two decades leading engineering teams means I'm especially at home in technical organizations, but the people side of leadership works the same everywhere. Leading engineers? Start here →
No pitch, no obligation. Reschedule or cancel free up to 24 hours ahead.
Arsenio Santos
Leadership coach and engineering leader
20+ yearsleading technical teams
Hands-on, not theoreticalrecent experience managing teams day to day
Startups to Fortune 100from founding teams to global orgs
Who I work with
Two transitions, two very different jobs
Leaders scaling past 30 people
What worked at 10 people stops working at 30. You can't be in every room, and the organization has to run without you.
- Hiring and growing managers under you
- Keeping trust and health as the organization grows
- Structure, rituals and communication at scale
I work with leaders in any discipline, and I'm especially at home with engineering, product, data and IT. Coaching for engineering leaders →
How it works
Start small. Keep going only if it's working.
- 1
Free intro call
25 minutes on video. You tell me what's hard right now; I tell you honestly whether I can help.
- 2
A plan for your situation
We agree on the two or three things that matter most, and how we'll know they're getting better.
- 3
Coaching sessions
50-minute sessions, single or in a bundle. Not the right fit after the first? Full bundle refund.
About Arsenio
I've been the new manager and the leader of a scaling organization.
I'm Arsenio Santos. I've spent over two decades leading technical teams, from startups to Fortune 100 companies, and I've managed engineering teams hands-on, not just advised them. I coach the human side of leading and growing a team: coaching and mentoring your people, and building the trust that keeps a growing organization healthy. Engineering is where I've spent my career; the people challenges are the same everywhere.
My coaching rests on four principles:
- Productivity Processes that serve the team, not the other way around.
- Empathy Understanding the people you lead.
- Inclusion Teams as diverse as they are collaborative.
- Clear communication No guesswork; transparency by default.
Writing
From the blog
The Job Nobody Trains You For
Most new managers step into the role with little or no training, and the research on how they get picked isn't encouraging. Here's what the data says, and what I'd add to every new manager's syllabus.
Better Daily Meetings
Daily meetings often devolve into status readouts that leave teams sapped. Here are a few ways to make them a source of energy again.
Short videos
More videos →
Not sure if coaching is right for you?
That's what the free intro is for. 25 minutes, and you'll leave with at least one useful idea.