All about being a tech lead.

I will cover this topic by answering a series of questions below. But first a little about myself, to give context. I have always enjoyed programming as a hobby, and for the last three years as a career. I’ve only experienced tech leads for this amount of time. In my prior employment we actually had a position of tech lead. They were the most skilled technician and would help with onboarding new technicians. A technician would repair the product we were working on, including physically changing out parts, soldering boards to remove components and add new ones, and loading firmware to the repaired unit. Some of my answers may come from this, but I believe they actually are very similar. At my prior employment I went from tech, to tech lead, to the Engineer over the product that we worked on. I enjoyed training technicians on what I had learned, and on new products.

What is a good tech lead?

1. Someone who has had great experience at being a developer. They have several years under their belt, and have worked for multiple clients, to become well seasoned.
2. Someone who can inspire others even when they are down.
3. Someone who communicates with the client, extracting what they actually need and getting stories groomed that will result in their needs being coded.
4. Someone who listens to their fellow developers and incorporates their concerns into their communications.

What makes a person capable of being a good tech lead?

1. Experience
2. Open to change
3. Great communicator

What are the personalities / traits of this person?

1. A leader. They have worked in the trenches with other developers, and excelled.
2. A great communicator.
3. A trainer who helps other developers to grow.

Why are some people good at it, while others are not?

1. If you are overwhelmed with all the responsibilities.
2. Not everyone has all the traits necessary.