Careers in tech don't move in straight lines. Mine has swung like a pendulum between writing code and the chaotic people-driven world of leadership. Each swing was painful. Each one has taught me something I couldn't have learned anywhere else.

Torn between leading people and building products? You don't have to choose. Keep reading.

My first swing

When I first became a manager, I thought I was ready: four years of engineering experience, a love for people, and the belief that management was the natural next step.

But reality hit fast. I wasn't debugging code anymore; I was debugging people.

There's one meeting that I still remember vividly. My manager was pushing for a new product while my team struggled with legacy systems. I couldn't bridge the gap, I didn't have the words yet to explain why the "shiny" thing would break the "stable" thing. I gave in and I walked out feeling I'd failed the business and betrayed my engineers.

Moments like that piled up. After eight months, I made the hard call to swing back into engineering. At the time, it felt like giving up. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. That "failure" taught me humility and gave me the space to rediscover what gave me energy.

Sometimes stepping back isn't quitting. It's recalibrating.

Sliding back into an engineering role felt like coming home. The focus, the satisfaction of shipping, I loved it! But I wasn't the same engineer anymore. I'd seen how leadership worked behind the scenes. I started thinking differently about impact, alignment, and clarity, not just clean code.

One project changed everything. We'd been polishing a prototype for weeks without clear direction. The old me would've kept grinding but this time, I paused and said, "Let's get clarity from management before we write another line." That showed the change in mentality.

That's when I realized what everyone says: leadership is not a title. It is taking ownership, setting direction, and driving impact.

The second swing

Five years later, I stepped back into leadership, this time not chasing a title, but answering a need.

This time, I had technical depth for credibility, empathy for team members who crave clarity, and patience to lead by creating space. Then came a test. New leadership decided to retire a core data platform, but it felt rushed and risky. Instead of getting stuck in the middle, I used my "pendulum" perspective. I translated the technical risks into business language. The team felt heard. Leadership adjusted the timeline. I wasn't just reacting anymore; I was leading through the tension.

Growth doesn't come from comfort. It comes from staying in the tension long enough to solve it.

The pendulum at TechWolf

At TechWolf, we've built our engineering culture on a simple truth: there isn't just one way to grow. We have two tracks: individual contributors and people management. We treat them equally, not just in words, but in status and compensation. Both are paths of leadership. Both create impact.

Additionally, we've seen the pendulum swing both ways, and we celebrate it.

Michiel | Staff Software Engineer | Focus: Scalable systems & technical strategy

Take Michiel, for example. He stepped into management, gave it an honest try for a year, and realized he gained his energy from the "how" rather than the "who." He chose to double down on what truly motivates him: solving complex technical problems and shaping systems at scale.

Michiel thrives in ambiguity. He excels at breaking down hard architectural challenges and bringing structure to complex technical landscapes. Recently, he drove a major impact on our "Bring Your Own Cloud" initiative, where he led customer discovery and translated enterprise needs into a scalable technical reality.

Beyond his individual output, Michiel uses his leadership experience to mentor engineers and sharpen their technical thinking. He proves that you don't need to be a manager to grow the next generation of leaders. Today, he serves as our Staff Software Engineer - a role that demands both the depth of an expert and the perspective of a leader.

"I realized my energy was in engineering. Doubling down on what motivates you isn't moving backward; it's how you reach your highest impact." - Michiel

Vinny | Director of Software Engineering | Focus: Organizational scale & leadership strategy

Another successful conversion case is Vinny. He found his energy in the management path and grew from an intern to the very first employee at TechWolf, and finally to our Director of Software Engineering. Today, his impact comes from shaping the system around the engineers, not the systems they build.

His transition was intentional. What defines him now is leverage. He focuses on building strong team leads, challenging them, and giving them room to operate. He combines directness with care, which creates both accountability and trust. That balance allows teams to perform without losing psychological safety.

Vinny's journey reflects the core idea of the engineering pendulum:

"The highest impact does not always come from deeper technical depth. Sometimes it comes from stepping back and building the structure in which others can excel." - Vinny

The lesson? Growth isn't linear. It's exploratory. The key is knowing your energy givers and takers and having the courage to listen to yourself.

At TechWolf, we reward exploration with a safety net! When an engineer wants to try leadership, they don't lose their seat at the technical table. They get a "trial period" to learn and fail with the total freedom to pivot back to code. No "walk of shame," no loss of seniority - just more perspective.

What the pendulum taught me

Three lessons stand out from riding the pendulum:

1. Management isn't a promotion. It's a career change. Treat it as a craft, not a step up.
2. Swinging back isn't failure. It's perspective, the kind you can't get standing still.
3. Each swing adds depth. Engineering sharpens your problem-solving. Leadership widens your lens. Together, they make you better in both roles.

A note from today

If you love building but also care deeply about people, if you want to stay close to the code while guiding a team, this is that rare space where you can do both. The team lead role is where technical depth meets leadership growth!

You'll shape big things, you'll grow in both directions, and you won't swing alone.

If you want a career where you don't have to choose between leading and building, join us at TechWolf and let's create something extraordinary together.