- A technical lead role leads technical work, and that does not by itself mean hiring, reviews or direct reports.
- A people-manager posting states responsibility for managing people, without telling you the team size or the coding balance.
- A "lead" title can describe technical ownership alone, and a manager title can still include substantial delivery work.
- Ask who reports to the role and whether it carries a budget and reviews, because a title says neither.
- Browse individual contributor roles, technical lead roles and people manager roles.
Check the title against the responsibilities
A posting's work and reporting expectations are more useful than its title. For a technical lead role, ask who makes the final technical decision and how the role works with product, sales and customer teams. For a manager role, ask how much of the week is delivery.