We close our “Lead the Way” column with one of the new additions to the role of Team Leader. Daniel Zotti, who has been with Bitrock for almost 3 years, took over as Front-End Team Leader a few months ago and has immediately thrown himself into the role!
CAN YOU EXPLAIN YOUR JOURNEY SO FAR, FROM DEVELOPER TO TEAM LEADER, AND THE SKILLS THAT HAVE BEEN MOST USEFUL TO YOU?
Before becoming a developer, I worked as a ‘tech guy’ in the IT department of a hospital. As well as providing technical support, which required regular contact with people, I worked on full-stack software development. Both activities played an important role in my career path: the close contact with consumers demonstrated my attitude towards human relations and understanding the needs of my interlocutors, which is an essential skill in my current work as a team leader. Full-stack development, on the other hand, allowed me to get an overview and fully understand my real interest.
From that point, over the last ten years, I have specialized more and more in front-end engineering, until the desire to share my knowledge and pass on my skills led me to the position of Team Leader.
Throughout my career as a developer, I have learnt and applied a principle that I consider fundamental and try to instill in all members of my team: often the best choice is not the perfect technical solution, but the one that balances priorities, timing and ‘openness’ to future changes.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE A TYPICAL WORKING DAY FOR YOU?
Every day is different from the previous one, so I’d better outline the main monthly activities. In addition to the technical tasks associated with the project I’m working on, I also perform a number of cross-functional tasks that are typical of my job, focusing on the support, development and well-being of my team members.
Organizing internal meetings between team leaders is one of the most important things, so that we can learn from each other’s best practices, agree on common goals and manage the area more effectively. Equally important are the one-on-one meetings I have with my team members to plan their professional development and support them through problems. For example, I hold code review sessions to ensure continuous progress.
In the same spirit, I enjoy devoting time to research and development, looking at cutting edge approaches and new technologies to improve our products and services. Finally, I always try to make time to help my colleagues when they need it, not only with technical issues, but also with finding and selecting people and creating content.
In short, every month is full of different activities, which makes my job really stimulating and never boring!
WHAT DOES BEING A BITROCK TEAM LEADER MEAN TO YOU?
Above all, being a team leader means leading by example and being available to the group as a personal support as well as a technical advisor.
Technical expertise, training, development and career progression are just as important to being a successful developer, but a good team leader must also have soft skills such as active listening, empathy and teamwork.
We often work in groups with colleagues, and we often have direct interactions with our clients, with whom we need to build respectful, comfortable relationships.
WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST REWARDING ABOUT YOUR ROLE?
The most fulfilling thing for me is to watch my team develop on a daily basis: to see their understanding and application of the concepts taught. Developing personal relationships that help team members grow both professionally and personally is another source of pride and satisfaction.
Receiving positive comments from my colleagues gives me the most satisfaction, as I work tirelessly to build relationships based on mutual trust and listening.
WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING SITUATION YOU FACED?
Ironically, the most difficult situations don’t involve problems with technical progress. While there is no ambiguity in code (2+2 always equals 4) the client’s wishes, requirements and preferences are not always obvious: it’s important to recognize them and deal with them. It is essential to fully understand the client’s requirements before writing any code; as consultants, it is our responsibility to translate those requirements into technically feasible solutions.
Getting the client to fully understand that my team and I are on their side and that any proposal is aimed at giving them the best possible answer is still the part of the job I find most challenging!
HOW DO YOU BALANCE TECHNICAL ASPECTS AND MANAGERIAL ASPECTS?
As I’ve only been in the role for a year, I still have a lot to learn, particularly about how to balance the managerial tasks that support and encourage the growth of my team with the technical and operational tasks. At this point, I don’t think there is a hard and fast rule for achieving this, but rather a set of best practices to keep in mind.
Time management and prioritization skills are essential, particularly in situations where major undertakings require the majority of my time and focus. In these circumstances, I make the most of every opportunity to meet with my staff so that we don’t overlook our relationship with the team or any related activities.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY SO FAR?
Even this question is difficult to answer, because during my experience at Bitrock – and especially since I took on the role of Team Leader – I have gained a lot of good memories and satisfaction.
If I had to choose just one, I would tell you about a typical case of “the student has become the master”. The front-end team schedules a virtual meeting once a week where one team member has the opportunity to speak on a fresh topic related to a current trend, a personal interest or our common goal of learning and growing. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of a particularly fascinating topic from a Bitrocker I had personally trained and mentored. Seeing his growth and even this role reversal was very gratifying and made me realize that I am on the right track!
In this latest interview we discovered more tricks of the trade and some interesting behind-the-scenes stories from the lives of our Bitrockers!
If you missed the other testimonials from our team leaders, check out the other dedicated blog posts and follow us on our social channels so you don’t miss out on all the other stories we have in store for you!
Thanks to Daniel Zotti, Front-end Team Leader @ Bitrock
