round table · TechLead Conf 2025
Tech Lead and the Individual Contributor Track: Turning Code into a Career
June 5, 2025 · TechLead Conf 2025
A round table I took part in about the tech lead role and the Individual Contributor career track: how the role emerges in companies, the value it brings to the business, and how to grow as an engineer without moving into management. Below are the questions the discussion revolved around, the panelists, and the full recording.
Panelists
- Alexander Polomodov · T-Bank
- Maxim Vishnevsky · Mindbox
- Gleb Mikheev · Sber
- Alexander Beloturkin · Delimobil
Discussion questions
- 01How does the tech lead role emerge across companies — from an informal arrangement to an official position?
- 02Why does the role often stay unofficial, and what value does a tech lead bring to the business?
- 03What skills and approaches are needed from the business, architecture, and technical-expertise angles?
- 04What growth opportunities does the IC track offer — up to principal and beyond?
- 05Why is the IC branch still underdeveloped in Russian IT, and what holds it back?