You’ve been programming for a while now. You know your way around the code, and you’re becoming a go-to for technical advice. And it looks like someone else noticed, because you’re the technical lead on your next project. Congratulations! But now what? It’s a lot more than just coding: The technical lead can be responsible for designing software architecture, writing requirements, interfacing with clients or management, or dividing work amongst the team– and those are just the parts of the job they tell you about ahead of time.

We’ll talk about how to oversee the technological vision for the project without losing sight of what’s happening on the ground, how to motivate your team members without overstepping your bounds, and some tactics to deal with challenges you might not anticipate, but will almost certainly encounter.