How do you onboard a new Tech Lead into your team?

Question

Accepted Answer

I onboard a new Tech Lead by giving them **context, relationships, and a safe first win** — not a backlog. The aim is for them to be making sound decisions independently within a quarter, so I front-load understanding and gradually hand over ownership.

## Give them context, not just access

- A **written onboarding doc**: architecture overview, key decisions and their *why*, current priorities, known pain points, and the politics (who owns what, who decides).
- A **system walkthrough** — pair on tracing a real request end to end, not just a slide deck.
- Point them at **past incidents and ADRs** so they inherit history instead of relearning it the hard way.

## Build relationships early

- Set up **1:1s** with each team member, the PM, and adjacent leads. Trust is the currency a Tech Lead spends.
- Be explicit about **the team's culture and unwritten norms** — how decisions get made, how disagreement is handled.

## Hand over gradually

I scope ownership in stages rather than dropping it all at once:

| Phase | What they own |
|-------|---------------|
| Weeks 1–2 | Shadow me; review PRs; ask anything |
| Weeks 3–6 | Lead one project or workstream end to end |
| Weeks 7–12 | Own technical direction; I move to backstop |

## Set expectations explicitly

- Define **what success looks like** and how it's measured.
- Clarify **decision boundaries** — what they decide alone vs. escalate.
- Schedule regular check-ins, then taper as confidence grows.

## Pitfalls

- **Sink or swim** — handing over everything day one signals chaos, not trust.
- **Withholding the messy context** — they'll step on landmines you knew about.
- **No clear mandate** — ambiguity about authority makes them hesitant and slow.

## Why it matters

A Tech Lead's effectiveness depends on context and credibility, both of which take time to build. Structured onboarding compresses that ramp, prevents costly early missteps, and models the same thoughtful leadership you want them to show their own team.

Phase	What they own
Weeks 1–2	Shadow me; review PRs; ask anything
Weeks 3–6	Lead one project or workstream end to end
Weeks 7–12	Own technical direction; I move to backstop