

Accept a position as "Lead Developer"? - lispy

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?
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pbnaidu
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.

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sherman
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.

