How to DIY: Tech Lead

Someone to set technical direction, review code, mentor developers, and make sure the architecture holds up as the team and codebase grow

DIY Difficulty🔥Hard DIY
Save up to $8,000-15,000/mo (external hire) by doing it yourself
HardDifficulty
3-5 years (requires strong IC experience + leadership skills)Time to Learn
$10-30K/yr salary increase for internal promotionDIY Cost
4Steps
2Tools

Tools used in this guide

4
Your teamSalary increase ($10-30K/yr typically)Google Engineering PracticesFreeLeadDevFree (articles) / Conference ticketsStaffEngFree

How to DIY: Tech Lead

A step-by-step guide to doing this yourself — honestly.

Easy
Medium
Hard

What you're really trying to do

Someone to set technical direction, review code, mentor developers, and make sure the architecture holds up as the team and codebase grow

DIY Cost

$10-30K/yr salary increase for internal promotion

3-5 years (requires strong IC experience + leadership skills) to learn

Hire Cost

$8,000-15,000/mo (external hire)

Done for you

You could save $8,000-15,000/mo (external hire) by doing it yourself

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow along at your own pace. Most people finish in 3-5 years (requires strong IC experience + leadership skills).

1

Promote your best senior developer

~10 min

The most common path to a tech lead: take your strongest developer who also communicates well and give them the role. Not every great developer is a great lead — look for someone who already reviews others' code, helps unblock teammates, and thinks about the big picture naturally.

Your teamSalary increase ($10-30K/yr typically)
2

Set up ADR templates and code review guidelines

~15 min

Give your new lead structure: Architecture Decision Records for big decisions, pull request templates for consistent code review, and a lightweight RFC process for proposals. Google's engineering practices docs are an excellent, battle-tested reference for code review standards.

Google Engineering PracticesFree
3

Invest in their growth

~15 min

Tech leadership is a skill set most developers haven't been taught. Get them 'The Manager's Path' by Camille Fournier and access to LeadDev's content (talks, articles, conferences). A small investment in leadership development pays massive dividends in team output and retention.

LeadDevFree (articles) / Conference tickets
4

Define the role clearly

~20 min

Tech leads fail when the role is undefined. Write down expectations: % time coding vs reviewing vs mentoring (usually 50/30/20), decision-making authority, who they report to. Use StaffEng.com for role definitions and career ladders — it's the best resource for technical leadership roles.

StaffEngFree

When to hire instead

Hire externally when: you don't have anyone internal ready for the role (common in teams under 5), you need a specific technical expertise your team lacks (e.g., scaling, security, ML), or your team needs a culture reset that an insider can't drive. But know that external tech leads need 2-3 months to earn the team's trust and understand the codebase — so plan for a ramp-up period. Consider a fractional CTO first if you need immediate senior guidance.

No time? Skip to hiring

Real talk

Tech leads are best grown, not hired. An internal promotion succeeds because the person already has context about your codebase, trust from the team, and understanding of your business. If you must hire externally, give them 3 months before expecting full impact — they need to earn trust by shipping, not by asserting authority. The biggest mistake: promoting your best coder who hates meetings. Tech leads spend 30-50% of their time communicating, not coding. Pick someone who genuinely enjoys helping others succeed.

Our Verdict

DIYHIRE
It depends

Difficulty

hard

Learning time

3-5 years (requires strong IC experience + leadership skills)

DIY cost

$10-30K/yr salary increase for internal promotion

Hire cost

$8,000-15,000/mo (external hire)

Choose DIY if...

  • 2 of 2 tools are free
  • You want to learn a new skill
  • Budget matters more than time

Choose Hire if...

  • The learning curve is steep
  • You need professional-quality results
  • Your time is worth more than the cost
  • You have a tight deadline

Learn from video tutorials

Sometimes watching is easier than reading. Search for tutorials:

YouTube tutorialsTikTok guides

Join the conversation

See what other people are saying about doing this yourself:

RedditQuora

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I really do tech lead myself?▼
This one is tough to DIY. While technically possible, the difficulty is hard and most people find hiring a professional ($8,000-15,000/mo (external hire)) saves significant time and frustration.
What tools do I need for DIY tech lead?▼
The main tools are: Your team, Google Engineering Practices, LeadDev, StaffEng. 3 of these are free to use. Our step-by-step guide above walks you through exactly how to use each one.
How long does it take to learn tech lead?▼
Plan for about 3-5 years (requires strong IC experience + leadership skills) to get comfortable with the basics. 4 steps cover the full process from start to finish. After your first project, subsequent ones go much faster.
When should I hire a tech lead instead of doing it myself?▼
Hire externally when: you don't have anyone internal ready for the role (common in teams under 5), you need a specific technical expertise your team lacks (e.g., scaling, security, ML), or your team needs a culture reset that an insider can't drive. But know that external tech leads need 2-3 months to earn the team's trust and understand the codebase — so plan for a ramp-up period. Consider a fractional CTO first if you need immediate senior guidance.
Is it worth paying $8,000-15,000/mo (external hire) for a freelancer vs doing it myself for $10-30K/yr salary increase for internal promotion?▼
Tech leads are best grown, not hired. An internal promotion succeeds because the person already has context about your codebase, trust from the team, and understanding of your business. If you must hire externally, give them 3 months before expecting full impact — they need to earn trust by shipping, not by asserting authority. The biggest mistake: promoting your best coder who hates meetings. Tech leads spend 30-50% of their time communicating, not coding. Pick someone who genuinely enjoys helping others succeed. If your time is worth more than the difference and you need professional results fast, hiring makes sense. If you enjoy learning and have 3-5 years (requires strong IC experience + leadership skills) to invest, DIY is a great option.
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