On my last project, the tech lead introduced the concept of feature captains. Being fresh out of the accelerator program, I found this practice to be highly valuable. So what is feature captaining, why is it beneficial to junior developers, why is it beneficial to the team, and what are some pitfalls to avoid?
What is a feature captain?
Feature captains are like mini tech leads. They’re responsible for overseeing and delivering a specific feature within a product. They’re the go-to person for understanding everything related to a certain feature. This includes scope, goals, and requirements. They coordinate between frontend, backend, and design teams to track progress, identify blockers and resolve them.
Being a feature captain doesn’t mean you do everything yourself—it’s about being the guiding force for the rest of your team. Prioritizing tasks, coordinating collaborative efforts, communicating with stakeholders, and ensuring overall feature quality are all part of the role.
Why is it beneficial for a junior developer?
Being a feature captain fosters confidence and boosts accountability for their work. It gives junior developers the opportunity to dive deeper into a feature beyond the individual stories. They get lots of practice in decision making, cross team collaboration, communication skills, and end-to-end problem solving. You develop leadership skills and build trust with the client. Its also a great way to overcome imposter syndrome.
To succeed as a feature captain, you must gain a deep understanding of the feature. Know your feature inside and out. Gather business requirements, know the scope, and understand its impact on the user. Organization is key! Take notes in meetings, set achievable goals for the sprint, and adapt to changing requirements. A great feature captain knows when to delegate work. Don’t feel like you have to complete the whole feature on your own.
Why is it beneficial to the team?
Feature captains are also beneficial to the team as well. It gives the team a single point of contact for a certain feature. It breaks down large projects and focuses attention on each feature. You get better backlog management and deeper knowledge of specific areas of the project. Rather than one person juggling all the responsibilities for the entire project, the workload is shared among several feature captains with a focus on a particular part of the project. This reduces the risk of burnout among tech leads. Leadership is shared, leading to smoother, more balanced workflows.
What pitfalls should I avoid?
To get all the benefits of implementing feature captains on your project, you must avoid certain pitfalls. One major challenge is the development of knowledge silos, where information becomes isolated within specific individuals. To mitigate this, it’s essential to encourage knowledge sharing through practices like thorough documentation, regular team meetings, code reviews, and pair programming.
Another concern is the overburdening of developers. Offering support through mentorship, scheduling regular check-ins, and distributing leadership duties can prevent burnout and ensure sustainable progress throughout the project. By addressing these potential issues early on, feature captains empower their teams to operate more collaboratively and effectively.
Feature captains are a great practice for empowering developers on your team. With mentorship and guidance, it’s a great way for developers to improve leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills. For the broader team, it offers a way to divide responsibilities and streamline project delivery.