Lead Developer Career Guide

by Shelley Benhoff

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.

325 pages, ebook

Published June 1, 2024

Reviews

[Christoph Kappel · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far the book is a good read and covers the whole progress from a senior developer to a lead step by step. For me it is a good recap of several other books I've read about it like The Staff Engineer's Path: A Guide for Individual Contributors Navigating Growth and Change or Staff Engineer: Leadership Beyond the Management Track although it is more dedicated to the leadership aspect.

[Philip Cowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benhoff is one of the best in the industry at conveying concepts in a useful way, with devs' personalities and emotions in mind. This book is the best guide that I know of for devs transitioning into lead or senior roles, especially those who aren't sure if they should take the plunge. The most impactful topics are imposter syndrome, delegation, and "defending your team" against upper management. Highly recommended reading for anyone moving into or recently moved into a lead dev role.