If You Enjoy Coding, Think Twice About Joining the Management Track

I originally posted this post on my blog a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. It took me 10 years to learn this lesson: The higher up you go, the less it's about coding and more about all other skills. Being the best at coding won't get you higher on the corporate ladder. Well, the corporate ladder is a trap. Unfortunately, few places offer growth opportunities for coders, and even fewer for those who don't want the management track. Every place has its own expectations for team leaders or managers. In some places, the team leader role is divided between: someone technical in charge of coding and architecture decisions, and someone non-technical in charge of project management. In other places, a team leader wears all hats, often for the same pay. Making the jump into a leadership role If you enjoy coding and are thinking about joining the management track, start by understanding that your role as a team leader is more like a movie director than an actor. Your job is not to appear on screen, except for some cameos. Your job is to make sure your movie gets done as expected and on time. For that, you'll need coding skills. Sure. But much stronger soft skills. You'll spend most of your time in meetings, not coding: Daily meetings with your team, 1-on-1s with every team member, Daily meetings with all other leaders, Sync ups with project managers and product people Once you understand you're the director, not the best actor, show your interest in exploring the role with your team leader during your 1-on-1s or performance reviews. Then, find easy and cheap ways to validate if being a team leader is a role you'd enjoy: Organize and tidy up your project board Cover your team leader during their vacation Be the onboarding buddy for new team members Coordinate efforts to complete a feature from requirements to deployment That will force you out of your "coding" comfort zone into the soft skill-heavy zone. As a leader, you're not responsible for your own code anymore. You're responsible for all other coders and the code they write. Starting out or already on the software engineering journey? Join my free 7-day email course to refactor your coding career and save years and thousands of dollars' worth of career mistakes.

Mar 10, 2025 - 06:08

If You Enjoy Coding, Think Twice About Joining the Management Track

I originally posted this post on my blog a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

It took me 10 years to learn this lesson:

The higher up you go, the less it's about coding and more about all other skills.

Being the best at coding won't get you higher on the corporate ladder. Well, the corporate ladder is a trap.

Unfortunately, few places offer growth opportunities for coders, and even fewer for those who don't want the management track.

Every place has its own expectations for team leaders or managers.

In some places, the team leader role is divided between:

someone technical in charge of coding and architecture decisions, and
someone non-technical in charge of project management.

In other places, a team leader wears all hats, often for the same pay.

Making the jump into a leadership role

If you enjoy coding and are thinking about joining the management track, start by understanding that your role as a team leader is more like a movie director than an actor.

Your job is not to appear on screen, except for some cameos. Your job is to make sure your movie gets done as expected and on time.

For that, you'll need coding skills. Sure. But much stronger soft skills.

You'll spend most of your time in meetings, not coding:

Daily meetings with your team,
1-on-1s with every team member,
Daily meetings with all other leaders,
Sync ups with project managers and product people

Once you understand you're the director, not the best actor, show your interest in exploring the role with your team leader during your 1-on-1s or performance reviews.

Then, find easy and cheap ways to validate if being a team leader is a role you'd enjoy:

Organize and tidy up your project board
Cover your team leader during their vacation
Be the onboarding buddy for new team members
Coordinate efforts to complete a feature from requirements to deployment

That will force you out of your "coding" comfort zone into the soft skill-heavy zone.

As a leader, you're not responsible for your own code anymore. You're responsible for all other coders and the code they write.

Starting out or already on the software engineering journey? Join my free 7-day email course to refactor your coding career and save years and thousands of dollars' worth of career mistakes.