Tech leads embody a unique blend of technical expertise and people skills.
They’re the people who make the technology decisions that will shape a company’s future. Not to be confused with engineering managers, who focus primarily on people management, tech leads need to understand the tech stack better than anyone, lead by example and be seen as advocates for their fellow developers.
“It’s really important that your team feels like you’re on their side, or that you have their backs,” said Alek Hurst, a front-end tech lead at CyberGRX, a third-party cyber risk management provider.
“It’s really important that your team feels like you’re on their side.”
Hurst said his leadership philosophy is defined by experiences he had early in his career. Naturally cautious, Hurst said he had trouble speaking up as a young developer. Now, he makes sure everyone’s voice is heard by asking every member of his team what they think of potential new technologies or workflows.
Grant Sheehan said he finds meaning in mentorship, too. At Mersive, a visual computing firm where he serves as senior DevOps engineer, Sheehan teaches junior developers not to take shortcuts when writing…
