Lead Developer Career Guide

Learn the skills you need to be a lead developer, with expert advice on mentoring teams, handling clients and project managers, and keeping your head in emergencies.

In the Lead Developer Career Guide you’ll discover:

• What a lead developer does
• Writing effective technical documentation
• Improving development processes
• Communicating with non-technical clients
• Mentoring and inspiring a team
• Delivering negative feedback

The Lead Developer Career Guide teaches you how to go from individual contributor to successful lead developer. It’s full of insider tips, tricks, and strategies taken from author Shelley Benhoff’s 20-year career in technology, with vital insights for navigating the challenges and expectations of the lead developer role. This one-of-a-kind book shows you how critical thinking and communication skills can upgrade your career.

Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF and ePub formats from Manning Publications.

About the technology

A successful lead developer is the tech expert responsible for mentoring fellow developers, making decisions about architecture, and ensuring that a team delivers quality software. This guide helps you grow from individual contributor into team leader.

About the book

Lead Developer Career Guide is filled with interviews and real-world case studies from industry professionals and esteemed tech experts. You’ll learn how to become the face for your development team, gathering feedback from your coworkers and communicating with clients and stakeholders. You’ll learn to reliably calculate project estimates and even plan a project from scratch. You’ll master mentoring techniques, learn how to maintain your mental health in stressful projects, and even battle imposter syndrome. By the time you’re finished, you’ll have a unique balance of soft skills and technical expertise.

About the reader

If you’re a junior developer, this guide will help you plan your career path to becoming a technical lead. If you’re a senior developer, you’ll master the leadership abilities that will turn your technical knowledge into an asset for your whole team. If you’re a team leader, hand this book to your best developer to help them mature into the role of lead.

About the author

Shelley Benhoff has over twenty years of experience in tech as a business owner, author, and speaker. She teaches leadership, communication, Docker, and Sitecore development. Shelley is currently a co-owner of HoffsTech, LLC.