Leveling Up as a Tech Lead

Chapter 3. Building Relationships

Everyone in tech understands the value of networking when it comes to advancing their career. It’s how you hear about job openings before they’re public, skip the application line with referrals, or even land promotions by building trust with managers. Networking gets you insider knowledge about companies, helps you decide if they’re the right fit, and gives you a direct line to opportunities that might otherwise take years to stumble upon. The right relationships can fast-track your career and save you from a lot of wasted time and effort.

As a tech lead, the stakes are even higher. Building strong relationships isn’t just about you anymore; it directly impacts your team and the teams you collaborate with. The benefits multiply significantly, from creating smoother workflows to opening doors to new opportunities for your team. Yet, I’ve noticed many tech leads roll their eyes when I bring this up. They see building relationships as time wasted, a distraction from coding, and often fail to connect the dots between stronger relationships and fewer headaches for themselves and their team.

This chapter is here to change the perception that building relationships is a waste of time. I’ll show you the value of investing in the right relationships as a tech lead and how these connections can unlock opportunities, prevent unnecessary problems, and make life easier for everyone involved. I’ll dive into the relationships you need to focus on, strategies ...