"The Tech Lead who actively participates in discovery builds better solutions, avoids rework, and gains disproportionate influence in product direction."
The Tech Lead brings to discovery what no one else can: detects innovation opportunities that emerge from technical possibilities, identifies constraints early before investing in unviable solutions, proposes creative alternatives others don't see due to lack of technical context, and validates feasibility in real-time during user conversations.
Regularly engaging in discovery activities (interviews, data analysis, ideation) bringing unique technical perspective. It's not just about attending when invited, but being an active participant who adds value from the start of the discovery process. The Tech Lead who masters this sub-competency doesn't wait for problems to be brought to them already defined, but participates in identifying and exploring opportunities from the beginning.
Other trio members actively seek the Tech Lead's perspective in discovery sessions. The Tech Lead proposes product opportunities no one else had identified. Solutions proposed by the team incorporate technical innovation from the start. The Tech Lead regularly attends user interviews (at least 2 times per month), actively listening and noting technical implications. Proactively reviews product data (analytics, logs, usage metrics) to identify opportunities or problems before others point them out.
Proactively evaluating the five product risks (value, usability, technical feasibility, viability, ethical), not just technical feasibility. The empowered Tech Lead goes beyond answering 'can we build it?' and brings technical perspective to all risks: detects workarounds in usage data that signal value needs, identifies technical limitations that affect usability, translates technical implications to business costs/benefits, and detects ethical risks of privacy, bias, or security. This integrated validation prevents the team from investing time in solutions that will fail in other aspects besides technical feasibility.
Using quantitative and qualitative data to deepen problem understanding and validate hypotheses. The effective Tech Lead doesn't limit themselves to building what they're asked for, but seeks evidence in logs, metrics, analytics, and user feedback to better understand the problem before proposing solutions. This includes analyzing usage patterns, identifying technical friction points, detecting workarounds that users create, and using experiments to validate hypotheses about solutions. Data-driven understanding enables more informed decisions and avoids solutions that don't solve the real problem.
Developing
Behaviors not present or inconsistent; requires significant guidance
Practicing
Behaviors present but with significant gaps; requires regular coaching
Competent
Consistent behaviors in normal situations; occasionally needs support
Proficient
Consistent behaviors even in complex situations; can guide others
Expert
Reference for others; adapts approach to new contexts; improves team practices