Accept a position as "Lead Developer"?

Posted by lispy on Wednesday August 08, 2007 @08:57AM
from the self-post dept.

There's a promotion on the table for me to take over a small IT department at a smaller company that has different needs than the parent company it spun off of. It's not a heavy management role: there'd just be one network guy working for me. I love coding more than just about anything... but this looks like it'd be more of an analysis and knowledge management thing. I'm probably going to take it because it's the only way "up" in my current situation... but will I have killed my chances for becoming a hard-core heads-down code-cutting developer in the process?

( 2 comments | on HN )

Re:Accept a position as "Lead Developer"? by pbnaidu on Wednesday August 08, 2007 @11:13AM (#40519)

I saw one of my lead developer / architect became a project manager, within three months he wanted out of that role and came back to design and coding job.

If this "Lead Developer" role involves designing, prototyping, trying out new technologies, then I would say take it as you still be coding as part of the job.

Even if it involves analysis and knowledge management and you haven't tried it before and there is an option to go back to what you were doing, I would give it a try.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Accept a position as "Lead Developer"? by sherman on Wednesday August 08, 2007 @01:04PM (#40560)

Taking the position doesn't stop you from being a hardcore hacker. Do you ever code outside of work? Projects like these tend to be a lot more engaging, at least for me, because it's something you chose to do versus company needs.

Hackers like to build things, so I understand your concern for taking on the position. But it sounds like you still would have opportunity to write code, just that most of your time is spent elsewhere.

[ Parent | on HN ]