Tech Lead Responsibilities: First 90 Days Success Guide
Becoming a tech lead for the first time is exciting and terrifying. You're still coding but now also responsible for team success, technical direction, and people management. The Tech Brothers Podcast Network community includes many first-time tech leads navigating this transition. Here's how to succeed in your first 90 days.
What Changed: Your New Responsibilities
You're now accountable for: project delivery and timelines, technical architecture decisions, team productivity and morale, code review and quality standards, coordination with product and design, and mentoring team members. Your success is measured by team output, not just your individual code. This mindset shift is crucial.
Days 1-30: Listen and Learn
Have 1-on-1s with every team member. Understand their goals, concerns, and working styles. Review the codebase and architecture thoroughly. Identify technical debt and pain points. Meet with stakeholders (product, design, other teams). Don't make big changes yet—earn trust first. Document what you learn in your TBPN notebook for reference.
Days 31-60: Build Relationships and Set Direction
Establish regular team rituals: daily standups, weekly planning, retrospectives. Create or improve technical documentation. Start addressing obvious pain points cautiously. Set clear expectations for code quality and processes. Begin delegating effectively—resist doing everything yourself. Build relationships with peer tech leads and managers.
Days 61-90: Drive Results
Lead your first major technical decision with team input. Ship a significant project successfully. Address underperformance or team conflicts directly. Implement process improvements based on learnings. Build roadmap for next quarter with team input. Celebrate wins and recognize team contributions.
Balancing Coding and Leadership
Most tech leads spend 40-60% time coding, 40-60% on leadership activities. Code on critical path items but delegate when possible. Use coding time strategically to mentor through code reviews and pair programming. Protect deep work time in your Tech Brothers hoodie for complex technical problems. Accept you won't code as much as before.
Common First-Time Tech Lead Mistakes
Trying to do everything yourself instead of delegating. Not giving direct feedback when needed. Making all technical decisions without team input. Neglecting relationships with stakeholders. Forgetting to celebrate team wins. Burning out trying to code AND lead full-time. Learn to let go and trust your team.
Join the TBPN community's tech lead cohort where first-time leads share challenges, get advice from experienced leads, and build leadership skills together. We discuss difficult situations, practice giving feedback, and support each other through this critical career transition.