Working With the Product & Technology Lead
Neon’s Product & Technology Lead is responsible for the strategic direction of our products, the architectural foundations of our systems, and the UX standards that define how our software feels to real users. This role is held by Glenn and exists to ensure Neon builds the right things in the right way—not to approve every ticket or rewrite code.
The Product & Technology Lead works upstream, where early decisions have the greatest impact, and provides clarity on direction rather than acting as a safety net at the end of delivery.
Purpose of the Role
The Product & Technology Lead exists to:
- Define what we build and why it matters
- Translate commercial realities into technical direction
- Shape solutions at the system and workflow level
- Protect the long-term maintainability and coherence of our codebase
- Maintain and evolve Neon’s UX principles and quality standards
This role offers direction, not micromanagement.
When to Involve the Product & Technology Lead
Engage the Lead only at points where decisions have strategic or lasting consequences.
Involve the Lead when:
- Defining a new feature or job specification
- The business problem is unclear or assumptions conflict
- Data models, core workflows, or domain concepts are being introduced or changed
- There are multiple viable approaches and a strategic choice is required
- The UX of a feature materially affects how people work
- A decision will create future cost, risk, or maintenance burden
If a question changes Neon’s trajectory, it belongs here.
Do not involve the Lead for:
- Code formatting or stylistic preference
- Routine implementation details already covered by standards
- Minor UI or content tweaks
- Decisions PR review or QA can resolve
If the handbook has the answer, use it.
How to Engage Effectively
Do not bring raw problems—bring options.
Weak escalation:
“I’m stuck, what should I do?”
Effective escalation:
“We evaluated A and B. We recommend B because it aligns with the job spec and avoids duplication. Are there strategic considerations we’ve missed?”
The Product & Technology Lead refines thinking; they should not invent it for you.
Decision Checkpoints
The Lead participates at three stages:
1. Problem Shaping
Before development starts:
- Confirm the real-world problem is understood
- Align on desired outcomes and UX intent
- Prevent wasted effort and misaligned builds
2. Architectural Direction
When a change affects long-term structure:
- Validate the approach before implementation
- Confirm boundaries, ownership, and responsibilities
- Make trade-offs explicit
3. Strategic Escalation
When uncertainty affects future cost, security, or client trust:
- Present context, risks, and options
- Seek alignment—not permission
Ownership Expectations
The Team Owns:
- Delivery of work and meeting the Definition of Done
- Technical implementation within agreed constraints
- PR reviews, QA, and safe deployments
The Product & Technology Lead Owns:
- Product and architectural direction
- UX standards and quality principles
- Decisions that outlive individual tickets or projects
If the decision affects only this release, the team decides.
If the decision affects Neon’s future, the Lead must be involved.
Success Criteria
This working model succeeds when:
The team delivers work that meets Neon’s standards without requiring the Product & Technology Lead to be involved in routine decisions.
If the Lead is reviewing every PR or clarifying jobs after they start, the process—not the person—is at fault.
Summary
The Product & Technology Lead ensures Neon moves in the right direction, not that every ticket is executed perfectly. Use this role to clarify intent, align on approach, and safeguard quality where it actually matters. Do not use it to replace thought, avoid uncertainty, or rubber-stamp decisions.
When the team works this way, we move faster, with fewer surprises, and without losing the care that defines Neon.