Leadership and Code

When people ask me whether leaders in tech should still be writing code, I don’t think the answer is simple. For me, it’s never been a yes-or-no question. It’s about the team, the stage of the product, and the kind of challenges we’re facing.

One thing I know for sure, building digital products is never a solo act. From design and frontend to backend, architecture, testing, and even the final storytelling around a launch—it’s always the outcome of many people working together. Even with AI agents and LLMs helping us more and more, the real decisions, the vision, the direction, the definition of success still belong to humans.

Staying Close to the Code

I’ve learned that touching the code, even occasionally, keeps me grounded. It’s easy to lose perspective when you only operate at the strategy level. Writing or reviewing code helps me see the friction the team runs into and keeps me honest about what’s realistic. It also shows the team that leadership isn’t separate from their daily reality—we’re in this together.

Knowing When to Step Back

In the early days of a product, coding side by side with the team helps set the culture and technical direction. But as the team grows, leadership shifts. It becomes less about committing lines of code and more about guiding architecture, reviewing critical parts, and clearing obstacles so others can move faster.

The balance is tricky, but it matters. Leadership isn’t about being the best coder in the room. It’s about creating the conditions for the team to do their best work, while making sure the product still reflects the bigger vision we’re chasing.