The tech lead or technical lead is a role in software development that is responsible for maintaining and driving the technical direction for the development team, while resolving issues and communicating solutions for them with the team.
This role is a very essential one and it has become increasingly demanded. At our company, I believe that the tech lead is a very important role that enables us to provide great quality at minimal hassle during development.
If you’re getting to hire a tech lead, or want to know what qualities we prefer the lead would better have, that’s what we are focusing on here in this blog.
Being energetic and calm
As a role that involves so much communication about technical problems and challenges. A tech lead always needs to be motivated and energetic. As they need to have a positive attitude toward the team and the goal of the project.
Will have to be energetic and communicate consistently, a lead needs to focus in to avoid anxiety, which is often very likely to exist. This also comes from an understanding team and a positive mentality.
Being a flexible person is also important, as only the promotion of flexibility can lead to innovation during development. If you are always sticking 100% to what is normal, then it is very unlikely that you will create something new.
Staying familiar with multiple technologies
A single software development project can involve multiple programming languages, frameworks, and platforms used to automate tasks.
A tech lead should be experienced and capable to deal with different technologies and platforms; while being able to learn to deal with them whenever it is required. This makes this position a very demanding one that takes hard work.
Being great at coding
While the tech lead job is more focused on meetings, discussions, and plans; he should never give up coding, and should stay a great developer.
A large number of technical people get to do less development and more management as they reach a leadership positions. But the tech lead needs to avoid this, to boost the ability to resolve team issues and understand them better.
This is partially on the development company. This needs to give the tech lead the time to keep learning development and staying updated on what is latest and avoid drowning in management.
Owning the team’s issues
The nature of the work of a tech lead is focused on challenges and issues, which are always present in software development projects. Challenges are part of developing a software product, and their existence should be always expected.
Taking ownership of issues, or dealing with every issue of any member like it is the lead’s issue. It can make a tech lead excel. Like this, the focus is not on blaming but on resolving. Then, ensuring not to repeat that mistakes in a proactive way.
