I remember starting as a developer wanting to be respected by my elders, and just looking to become senior as soon as possible. I got it and didn't feel very different.
I jumped at an opportunity to manage the software department and enjoyed the managerial side and representing the team within the rest of the company. I didn't like the politics and I didn't like knowing what I started to know about the company itself. A pretty big weight that took it's toll.
Most of all I missed coding, I wasn't doing it enough and I started to fall behind on the industry.
The idea of a Lead role is something I courted but then realised it may not be rewarding. I'd like to know how other lead's find their role...
* sit in a lot of meetings with management/other departments
* try to filter company politics from my team (thus absorbing it myself)
* would try to find what work would be most suitable and rewarding (considering interest & future growth) for each of my developers, thus in practice ending up with the most boring bug-fix & other maintenance tasks myself
* participating in a lot of project-management as well as people-management of my direct reports (weekly one on ones, conflict resolution, planning career growth, etc)
In practice I found the role of Principle Developer much more rewarding.
The next Red Dead is confirmed, it will make money and look amazing.
There will be another Bully.
Hell I’d even bet on another Manhunter and Table Tennis.
I just don’t get what happened to Midnight Club…