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This sounds like an engineering manager role, especially since it involves hiring/firing and setting salaries. Why is it called "lead developer"? The cynic in

by abalone 11y ago

This sounds like an engineering manager role, especially since it involves hiring/firing and setting salaries. Why is it called "lead developer"? The cynic in me thinks it's to make it more palatable to promote engineers who still want to code. But as this post details, that's the wrong expectation.

developer1 11y ago
OP sounds like he works for a startup, where he's given the title of a Lead Developer, but is expected to perform the role of an Engineering Manager and even some CTO duties. In addition to hiring/salaries, also worrying about software licenses? This is not the description of a lead developer.
- MrGando 11y ago
  I totally agree. Lead developers write code, also remove real, tangible and hard roadblocks in the code for the team... this sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare. I think he was turned into a manager without him realizing it.
- unwind 11y ago
  I got the impression it was not a startup: I did have to hire people and in the current market that was a very hard task. Especially so when the company in question is not a sexy startup, nor is the stuff they’re working on amazeballs, nor is the market that they’re in one that attracts a lot of people. It took me a lot of time interviewing people and even offering them a job (with a pretty good offer, mind you) only for them to choose another company. I totally agree that the role seems like way more of a manager than a developer, so "lead developer" is a strange title. Of course titles are pretty strange and generally not very "portable" to begin with.
- pluma 11y ago
  In my experience in small companies "Lead Developer" usually means "the person who wrote all of our initial software and still does some programming while keeping track of our code base in general". I.e. something between a retired programmer, a software architect and a CTO.
roel_v 11y ago
It's a normal thing to call it that in the Netherlands, where the author (judging by the name and the mention of him organizing AmsterdamPHP) is from. Also, in IT it's normal to put people in leadership roles without any training or preparation, which in any other field is rightfully considered absolutely insane. FFS even McDonalds doesn't just take the best burger flipper one day and tells him 'yeah so as of tomorrow, you're the boss, good luck'.

by abalone 11y ago

developer1 11y ago

OP sounds like he works for a startup, where he's given the title of a Lead Developer, but is expected to perform the role of an Engineering Manager and even some CTO duties. In addition to hiring/salaries, also worrying about software licenses? This is not the description of a lead developer.

MrGando 11y ago
I totally agree. Lead developers write code, also remove real, tangible and hard roadblocks in the code for the team... this sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare. I think he was turned into a manager without him realizing it.
unwind 11y ago
I got the impression it was not a startup: I did have to hire people and in the current market that was a very hard task. Especially so when the company in question is not a sexy startup, nor is the stuff they’re working on amazeballs, nor is the market that they’re in one that attracts a lot of people. It took me a lot of time interviewing people and even offering them a job (with a pretty good offer, mind you) only for them to choose another company. I totally agree that the role seems like way more of a manager than a developer, so "lead developer" is a strange title. Of course titles are pretty strange and generally not very "portable" to begin with.
pluma 11y ago
In my experience in small companies "Lead Developer" usually means "the person who wrote all of our initial software and still does some programming while keeping track of our code base in general". I.e. something between a retired programmer, a software architect and a CTO.

roel_v 11y ago

It's a normal thing to call it that in the Netherlands, where the author (judging by the name and the mention of him organizing AmsterdamPHP) is from. Also, in IT it's normal to put people in leadership roles without any training or preparation, which in any other field is rightfully considered absolutely insane. FFS even McDonalds doesn't just take the best burger flipper one day and tells him 'yeah so as of tomorrow, you're the boss, good luck'.