Conducts algorithmic reviews for desktop projects. Defines algorithm performance standards. Mentors on choosing optimal data structures and algorithms in C++/Qt.
Roles · Desktop Developer (Qt/C++) · Lead
What a Lead } should know
38 core skills, 53 in total. Expectations per skill, and what changes at the next level.
This page lists what a Lead } is expected to know and do, skill by skill. Core skills are the ones a manager and peers assess in a review cycle; the rest count only in self-assessment. Main areas: Programming Fundamentals, Database Management, API & Integration.
Core skills for a Lead
Grouped by area. The label on the right is the expected depth: Awareness, Working, Advanced or Expert.
Programming Fundamentals · 11
Defines async strategy for the Qt platform. Establishes async programming standards, coordinates transition to coroutines. Conducts async code review.
Establishes code quality standards for the Qt team. Defines quality metrics, coordinates technical debt. Introduces automated quality gates in the CI/CD pipeline.
Defines data structure usage standards in Qt projects. Reviews container selection, coordinates data layer optimization.
Defines pattern usage standards in Qt projects. Conducts design review, selects optimal patterns for tasks. Mentors on architectural patterns in desktop development.
Defines template usage standards in Qt projects. Reviews template code, controls compile-time complexity. Establishes guidelines for template code readability.
Defines memory management strategy for the desktop platform. Establishes memory budgets for components. Conducts memory review, coordinates memory consumption optimization.
Defines memory profiling strategy for the desktop team. Establishes memory SLAs and budgets. Coordinates memory optimization sprints, mentors on profiling tools.
Defines threading model for the desktop platform. Establishes safe multithreading standards in Qt. Conducts concurrent code review, plans transition to C++20 concurrency.
Defines OOP standards for the Qt team. Conducts design review focusing on SOLID and Qt-specific concerns. Establishes coding guidelines for inheritance and composition in Qt.
Defines typing strategy for Qt projects. Establishes guidelines for C++20/23 type safety features. Conducts review focusing on type safety.
Database Management · 1
Defines database strategy for desktop. Coordinates schema design with backend. Establishes performance guidelines for embedded PostgreSQL.
API & Integration · 1
Defines API integration strategy for desktop. Establishes error handling and caching standards. Coordinates with the backend team on API contracts.
DevOps & CI/CD · 1
Defines CI/CD strategy for the desktop team. Coordinates release automation, establishes deployment standards. Introduces quality gates and automated release notes.
Testing & QA · 3
Defines E2E testing strategy for the desktop product. Coordinates E2E infrastructure, establishes test automation roadmap. Balances coverage and maintenance cost.
Defines integration testing strategy. Coordinates test infrastructure for cross-platform tests. Establishes integration testing standards for the team.
Defines testing strategy for the Qt team. Establishes coverage targets and quality gates. Coordinates test infrastructure, mentors on testing best practices.
Security · 2
Defines security strategy for the desktop team. Establishes security guidelines and checklist. Coordinates security review and penetration testing.
Defines secure coding standards for the Qt team. Establishes security review process. Coordinates security training for developers.
AI-Assisted Development · 2
Defines LLM integration strategy for the Qt team. Establishes policies for AI usage in desktop development. Coordinates AI-assisted development.
Defines AI-assisted development strategy for the team. Establishes guidelines for Copilot usage with Qt/C++. Evaluates ROI and risk of AI-generated code.
Observability & Monitoring · 1
Defines logging strategy for the desktop platform. Establishes logging standards and privacy guidelines (GDPR). Coordinates observability infrastructure.
Version Control & Collaboration · 2
Defines code review process for the team. Establishes review checklist for Qt/C++. Coordinates review workflow, ensures quality through review gates.
Defines Git strategy for the desktop team. Establishes branching model and release process. Coordinates merge policies and code review workflow.
Desktop Development · 8
Defines update strategy for the desktop product. Coordinates update pipeline with CI/CD. Establishes SLAs for update delivery, plans mandatory updates.
Defines desktop application distribution strategy. Coordinates packaging pipeline with CI/CD, establishes signing and notarization standards. Plans store distribution support.
Defines Linux desktop support strategy. Coordinates GTK/Qt compatibility, establishes GNOME/KDE integration standards. Plans Flatpak and Snap support.
Defines inter-process communication strategy for the desktop platform. Establishes IPC protocol standards, coordinates cross-platform IPC compatibility.
Defines MVVM standards for the Qt team. Establishes coding guidelines for View/ViewModel separation. Conducts architecture review, mentors on MVVM patterns in Qt.
Defines offline-first strategy for the desktop product. Establishes data and synchronization standards. Coordinates backend integration for offline/online sync.
Defines plugin strategy for the desktop platform. Establishes plugin API standards, coordinates developer ecosystem. Plans plugin certification and security review.
Defines technical strategy for Qt development for the team. Establishes standards for Qt 6, C++20 and QML usage. Conducts architecture review, plans migration between Qt versions.
Performance Engineering · 6
Defines benchmarking strategy for the desktop team. Establishes performance baselines and regression policies. Coordinates performance testing across components.
Defines CPU profiling strategy for the desktop team. Establishes performance budgets, coordinates performance sprints. Introduces automated performance regression testing.
Defines I/O strategy for the desktop product. Establishes I/O performance budgets. Coordinates disk and network I/O optimization.
Defines latency SLA for the desktop product. Coordinates cross-team latency optimization. Introduces automated latency monitoring and alerting in CI.
Defines memory performance strategy for the desktop platform. Coordinates memory optimization across components. Establishes memory performance SLA.
Defines resource budgets for the desktop platform. Coordinates cross-component resource optimization. Establishes standards for efficient resource usage.
Additional skills
Not assessed by the team, but part of the self-assessment and the development plan.
What changes at Principal
0 skills get a higher expectation or become core when moving from Lead to Principal. The biggest jumps first.
} in the open competency matrix: 53 skills across 5 levels. The matrix is free for individuals and stays free.