Should managers be in the code? Yes, absolutely. Should managers write code? Maybe, but it also depends on what you mean by writing code.

All of those things listen above are in support of your primary goal: ensuring that you are getting shit done. You cannot get shit done to a world-class level by leaving all of the details to other people.

Here’s a good article about platform teams that I got to read an early draft of. I can say from my own experience that all of these traps are very easy to go into. Be aware and prioritize ruthlessly what works and what doesn’t work.