First-time manager in a Nepali startup — three lessons from year one

1. Stopped writing code daily. The team needs my brain on their problems, not on commits. Hardest unlearning of my life.
2. 1:1s every two weeks, no agenda except “what’s frustrating you.” Fixed more retention issues than any HR programme.
3. Said no to 30% of incoming work. Most teams die from yes, not from no.