[B]ecause I don't think you hear enough how wonderful you are to work with, I've talked with three other people this week about why you're the right person to lead [the next big project] and I'm tell you the reasons that came up the most:

You're an all-around great engineer and creative problem-solver
You're an effective leader, especially in situations like [the next big project] where there's a lot to do at pretty high stakes.
Your dedication to and passion for your work is infectious and inspires others to do their best.
You create a lighthearted and fun environment in group meetings so people feel safe to express what they need to express.
You're very supportive and a great mentor. I don't think the value of your support can be overstated.
You know the business and technical things that are important to make [the next big project] successful.
You actually get [our business domain]. Not just conceptually but very tactically, and better than almost anyone here, including ops. You really understand business context and how it informs which tradeoffs we should be making.
And when you don't know something you make it a point to learn it well. So well that you find holes we otherwise wouldn't have noticed until a customer did.
You think about things holistically so we can make the right calls
You prioritize the customer experience in all its facets — ease of use, receiving quality deliverables, understanding the value of the product, etc
Because you get [our business domain] and business context so well, you know how to break down work in the way that makes the most sense
You're a strong communicator
[Other PM] and I were talking the other day about how easy you make it for us to make product decisions, because you explain options and tradeoffs so well and your recommendations are always balanced with engineering quality and business needs considerations
Because I'm the product lead on [the next big project] - you understand what I'm trying to say and ask good questions to get me to think through the things I'd overlooked

Index of /david-mccoy/software-engineer/testimonials