Not every company defines a “Tech Lead” the same way. In fact, what some companies call a “Tech Lead” might look very different from what we mean when we say it. At Counter, the title doesn’t just signal seniority – it signals purpose.
Our Tech Leads aren’t here to be gatekeepers or rockstars. The Tech Lead is there to set the tone, enable others, and build lasting capability inside your team – quickly and quietly.
If you’ve ever wondered why we assign a Tech Lead to every client engagement, here’s what you need to know.
They Start Early, So the Team Starts Fast
Our Tech Leads are embedded before delivery begins. They spend time with your teams to understand your systems, stack, and ceremonies – then design a custom onboarding plan for the team. They make sure every consultant hits the ground running, not ramping up.
That means that by the time our consultant team joins, everything’s in place – the tools, the process, the roadmap. From sprint one, we’re ready to deliver value.
As Andrew Crosher, Senior Data Engineer at Skipton Building Society put it:
“From day one, the Counter Tech Lead acted as a bridge – translating our ways of working into action, so the team could integrate quickly and start shipping.”
They Understand the Business, Not Just the Code
A Counter Tech Lead can absolutely put fingers on keys but that’s not what defines the role. Their real impact comes from shaping how teams think about code. They show the team that every line of code that is written, immediately creates some amount of technical debt. So, while writing “clever” code might feel satisfying in the moment – the “right” code written with simplicity, clarity and purpose in mind, will always outlast it. That means helping consultants understand what the business is really trying to achieve, who the users are, and how thoughtful engineering directly supports those goals.
They teach consultants to think beyond syntax and tooling, and to ask better questions:
- What’s the impact of this?
- How will it be used?
- What’s the tradeoff?
It’s not just technical mentorship, instead it’s about modelling thinking for an entire team.
They Know When to Fix Legacy – and When to Leave it Alone
For every client we partner with, their systems hold history. Counter Tech Leads know how to navigate legacy code pragmatically, not idealistically.
Sometimes “old” code doesn’t follow best practice – it may be difficult to understand, full of bugs or completely untested. But it is important to recognise the impact our changes have on the environment outside of our team. “Fixing it” could create larger problems for those who have been working with it or around it for a long time. Doing so can break things or introduce new risks. Tech Leads show the team how to work with it – safely, respectfully, and without slowing down delivery.
But they also know when to draw the line. They bring the confidence and experience to say: we’re not repeating this. Bad habits stay in the past – and clean, testable, maintainable code becomes the new standard moving forward.
They’re Masters of Enablement
Most traditional Tech Leads grow organically inside a business. That can work well – but sometimes the person who’s best at writing code becomes the person responsible for everyone writing code. The shift from “senior developer” to “true leader” can be subtle, but critical.
At Counter, we hire Tech Leads because they’re exceptional at enabling others. They’re not the loudest in the room or the person with all the answers – they’re the one making sure everyone else finds the answers faster.
They build confidence, remove blockers, and empower consultants in a way that helps them grow independent of the Tech Lead – so that when the Tech Lead rolls off the project, your business isn’t just left with a bunch of code and a dependent team. You’re left with new capability (and even potential future Tech Leads) already embedded and making a positive impact in your organisation.
They Protect Your Senior Time
Your senior engineers are valuable. But if they’re constantly having to onboard new starters, support early-career talent, and explain how everything works, they can’t focus on what they’re there to do: architect the future.
Our Tech Leads take that load off. They know how to translate your technical goals into day-to-day action, and how to support tech talent with minimal disruption to your team.
It’s the leadership layer that keeps things moving without pulling your most experienced engineers into day-to-day noise.
Why It Works So Well
The Counter Tech Lead model works because it’s been designed to solve some of the biggest challenges in consultancy-based delivery: onboarding, alignment, and continuity.
- They embed early, so delivery isn’t delayed.
- They mentor actively, so consultants grow quickly.
- They think long-term, so code and teams are more resilient.
- They understand the business, so value is always front of mind.
Whether you’re scaling a team, delivering a project, or just need to hit the ground running with the right people – our Tech Leads build teams that make it happen.
Our consultants arrive ready to go – because someone already made sure they would.
Interested in learning more about how our model delivers faster onboarding, less risk, and better outcomes? Let’s talk about what a Counter Tech Lead could mean for your team. Get in touch with our team today.
