Stop Managing. Start Leading with Product Context.

When engineers move into tech leadership roles, there’s a common misconception: that success comes from managing people, processes, and delivery.

But the real gap — the one that silently slows teams down — is losing touch with the product context. The why behind every technical decision.

When I transitioned into my recent Tech Lead role at Aula, supported by Singularis Ventures, I felt genuinely grateful for the trust and belief in my growth that enabled the promotion. But soon after, I realised I had slipped into a common trap — pushing timelines, coordinating tasks, reviewing PRs — all the things a “good” lead does. But still, something didn’t feel right.

I wasn’t grounding my decisions in the product’s real needs. I was managing… not truly leading.

That’s when Jonathan Shaw (Director at Aula) shared something that completely reframed how I think about leadership:

“Build a knowledge base that’s in the context of the product — one that others can rely on to make the right decisions.”

At first, I thought he meant documentation.
But it’s much deeper.

At Aula, where product thinking and engineering craft go hand in hand, this means building a shared foundation of understanding — not just how the system works, but why it works that way.

It’s about making the reasoning, trade-offs, and user impact visible to everyone.

A contextual knowledge base does three powerful things:

• It gives engineers confidence to make autonomous decisions.
  
  
• It keeps product direction aligned with technical evolution.
  
  
• It turns the team from executors into contributors to the product vision.
  
  

Since embracing this approach, I’ve seen a real shift: sharper discussions, more intentional code reviews, and decisions that reflect deeper clarity.
The team moves faster — not because we meet more — but because everyone understands the “why” as clearly as the “how.”

Beyond that I’ve learned that Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating an environment where others can find them — through context, clarity, and shared understanding.