Is Tech Lead the WORST Job For Most Programmers?

Just the name Tech Lead has this kind of prestigious ring to it, and if you're like most programmers you might think it's the job to shoot for. But 20 years of my career have been spent leading software teams, and you might be surprised to know that tech lead is actually the worst job for most programmers! Some of the information in this episode applies to IT professionals in any technical leadership role: whether that be leading programmers, UX, DevOps, QA - or any other discipline related to software development. But several of the points are more specific to programming leadership. Get free access to TechRolepedia here:  https://jaymeedwards.com/access-techrolepedia/  Download my free Career Guide here:  https://jaymeedwards.com/developer-career-guide/  Need help with your career? Book a free career consultation:  https://jaymeedwards.com/services/software-development-coaching/ You can also watch this episode on YouTube.  Chapter markers / timelinks:  (0:00) Introduction  (1:20) 1 TECH LEAD MYTHS  (1:29) 1.1 Smartest Team Member  (2:11) 1.2 Writes The Best Code  (2:59) 1.3 Chooses Key Technologies  (3:45) 1.4 Most Highly Compensated  (4:12) 1.5 Motivates Through High Standards  (5:19) 2 WHAT SHOULD A TECH LEAD DO?  (5:22) 2.1 Improve Team Effectiveness  (6:35) 2.2 Defend Team Members  (7:52) 2.3 Congratulate Team Publicly  (9:00) 2.4 Getting Team Consensus  (10:19) 2.5 Help When Things Get Hard  (12:57) 3 HOW BAD TECH LEADS GET PROMOTED  (13:28) 3.1 Strong Individual Contributor  (14:13) 3.2 Company Promotes Out Of Fear  (15:01) 3.3 Management Misunderstands Role  (15:25) 3.4 No Desire To Lead  (16:15) 4 BECOMING A TECH LEAD  (16:34) 4.1 Practice Defending Your Team  (18:19) 4.2 Practice Congratulating Team  (19:30) 4.3 Read Books on Leadership  (20:46) 4.4 Work Closely With Others  (21:52) 4.5 Learn More About the Business  (23:28) Episode Groove  Visit me at JaymeEdwards.com Find me on X as @jaymeedwards Find me on Instagram as jayme.c.edwards

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If working on software teams feels complicated, frustrating, and filled with politics - that's just because your eyes are open. Unfortunately, you do need to make a living! So how do you keep up with the demands of your tech job and still have a life outside of work? Hi I'm Jayme Edwards, and I've had a 26 year career in the software industry filled with thrilling victories - and maddening drama. With so many problems in our industry, the more money I made the more ridiculous people's expectations were. I’m sharing the biggest mistakes I made in my career, and the insights I learned along the way. This podcast is the audio version of the Healthy Software Developer YouTube channel, where you can find new episodes every Monday. Podcast versions appear on Wednesday of the same week. Subscribe and join us! Let’s help each other grow a community of healthy software developers.