Ask HN: Where has your career progressed after being a tech lead
4 comments
I went from mid level to senior to lead to principal. Everything that I read on https://staffeng.com/ seems accurate and some of my colleagues have written stuff there.
If you want to go the management route, Camille Fournier wrote The Manager's Path. Very well received book.
If you want to go the management route, Camille Fournier wrote The Manager's Path. Very well received book.
I was a midlevel dev filling the role of a tech lead.
It lead nowhere. They outsourced the product I supported. Then I started over on another obscure tech/stack and they cut the headcount 50%. Then I started over again on a more mainstream tech/stack.
So 3-4 years later, here I am. Still a midlevel dev. No real opportunities. Working a job I hate to support my family. But I guess I don't really count since they never officially promoted me.
It lead nowhere. They outsourced the product I supported. Then I started over on another obscure tech/stack and they cut the headcount 50%. Then I started over again on a more mainstream tech/stack.
So 3-4 years later, here I am. Still a midlevel dev. No real opportunities. Working a job I hate to support my family. But I guess I don't really count since they never officially promoted me.
I became tech lead and project manager and business analyst and architect simultaneously. I tried to delegate as much as I can as that was too much for me and half year later only the "project manager" hat remained. I'm not yet sure I like that.
I can second the book from Camille Fournier. I've read multiple manager books and her book is the best I've read. Very practical and dense without bullshit.
I can second the book from Camille Fournier. I've read multiple manager books and her book is the best I've read. Very practical and dense without bullshit.
As a tech lead too, I think getting a share of your company and be more involve for marketing side and success as a team should be a good answer.
Or you can try to work on the architecture and security of the code, which is more a strategic way of software.
Or you can try to work on the architecture and security of the code, which is more a strategic way of software.
A question for engineers who have been tech leads. Where did your career progress to, what was your next role?
I ask this as a current tech lead, trying to work out the next stage in my career and where I might like to go.