I love being a developer. After all, I did change my career to be one. I love solving problems with code. But it wasn’t until I started working at Radial that I realized I also love managing projects.
I am a very organized person, and I like to be in charge and know what’s going on. I like to interact with the client, find out their needs, discuss the priorities, and then make a plan. (I have always loved making lists, and then checking the items off!)
Combining Coding With Management
Being the lead at Radial means that I get to make the plan, but then I also get to carry out the plan. I get to write the code. This is a little different from how project management works at other companies, because even while leading a project, I am still coding along with the other developers who are working on it.
The benefit of being a lead is that I get to be fully involved in all aspects of the project, not just the code. Is a deadline coming up? I can make sure we meet it. Is the client unhappy with something? I can make the changes that will meet client needs.
Is the client really excited about a new feature? I can communicate to the developers that they are doing a great job. Are we ahead of schedule or behind? I always know, and I have the power to affect this too.
Some weeks I only write code, and some weeks I only do management. In each of these kinds of weeks I feel like something is missing. Thankfully most of the time it’s more balanced between the two roles. I have discovered that I am the happiest when I get to both manage the project and write code for it throughout the week. Where else could I do that other than Radial? 🙂