Being a senior developer in a software team with a long tenure at a company often leads to a natural transition into the Tech Lead role, usually offered by the company itself. However, this new position can become a trap in your professional journey.
Senior developers already play a crucial role in supporting and mentoring less experienced colleagues, helping with architecture decisions, code-related questions, and business rules. This support significantly reduces the time spent coding, but it is essential for the overall growth of the team.
When stepping into the Tech Lead role, in addition to these responsibilities, there comes the expectation of managing task distribution and team deliverables. But isn’t that the role of a Scrum Master? That depends on the company's context. I have been a Tech Lead, and besides technical responsibilities, I had to track tasks, handle blockers, and be held accountable for the team's performance and deliveries.
This experience led me to reflect on the role. For developers who are passionate about coding, like myself, becoming a Tech Lead can be a trap, potentially leading to burnout or even a negative perception of your work within the company. After all, you are now one of the people responsible for the team’s performance, and the pressure can be overwhelming.
In my case, I chose to remain solely as a developer, staying closer to the code and continuing to support my team with architecture and programming questions. This makes me reflect once again—shouldn't this actually be the true role of a Tech Lead?
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