Exploring the relationship between Tech Lead and Engineering Manager

The article compares the EM/PM and EM/TL relationships and argues that the common “shared accountability, split responsibility” model works for EM and PM, but breaks down for EM and TL. For EM and TL, the author proposes the inverse: the Engineering Manager is solely accountable for the team’s technical direction, while the Tech Lead shares responsibility by extending the EM’s bandwidth on specific scopes.

This model is presented as more effective than a rigid split where the EM handles people and process and the TL owns technical decisions. The TL can help by proposing platform improvements, leading a project, or serving as the main technical interface across teams, while the EM remains the final decision-maker and keeps ownership of the technical agenda.

Reading notes

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• The article says EM and PM share accountability for team outcomes, but have separate responsibilities.
• For EM and TL, the article says that model is broken.
• The EM is described as accountable for the team’s technical direction and decisions.
• The TL is described as an extension of the EM’s bandwidth, not as a separate authority with full decision power.
• The TL may propose technical platform improvements, lead a specific project, or act as the main technical contact on cross-team work.
• The EM and TL consult each other on tradeoffs and prioritization, and the EM decides when there is no consensus.
• The article says this setup helps preserve the EM’s technical ownership, broadens the TL’s skills, improves prioritization, and reduces disruption if one of the two leaves.