5 Insights from the World of an Engineering Lead

Lars is our Engineering Lead for our B2B and Tooling Teams in Berlin. From watching his team grow over two years, he talks about why he decided to work in mobility and his key takeaways since stepping into a leadership role.

1. What has been your highlight so far?

The thing that I enjoy most about working at FREE NOW is definitely everyone that I have met so far and the energy in the teams. Working in such a collaborative and helpful environment is amazing and something I definitely don’t take for granted.

2. What is your definition of being a good lead?

To be a good lead developer, you have to listen a lot and ask the right questions.

It’s important to encourage your team to be brave enough to take a risk when making a decision. Ultimately, you are the safety net if they fail.

Is it a team event without a group-selfie?

3. Why work in mobility and not in other industries?

I chose to work in urban mobility because I love change and I love to make an impact. Mobility in tech is such a fast-paced industry and at FREE NOW, we can be part of a fundamental change in the way people live in the future.

In my opinion, there is no better place to be.

Making the most of sunshine and an office rooftop with a team barbeque

4. How do you develop your team?

Developing my team is a big focus for me. It’s important to give them true responsibility and the chance to make an impact. Create an environment where they feel safe to fail, but also set high expectations. Make sure everyone feels responsible, measure your success and never be satisfied with the status quo. But most importantly, create an environment of trust and friendship. Only when you enjoy what you are doing can you achieve great things.

5. What do you think is a challenge being a lead?

I believe it’s your main task as a great leader to make yourself obsolete. You have to truly empower your team to make decisions, take risks and achieve success through independent thought and initiative. As a leader, you are always close to offer support and guidance and to protect them from the pressures of business needs.

Are you considering moving into a lead developer role? Why not check out our open positions in Hamburg, Barcelona and Berlin here.