The tech lead’s role is multifaceted: a lead needs to balance his time coding, mentoring, taking architectural decisions, and leading the team. The correct percentage doesn’t really exist. The amount of time spent between coding and leading isn’t a fixed number but rather a dynamic balance that adapts to the team’s needs and project requirements.
While coding is important, the ability to enable and empower the team is paramount.

👥 Team Size Matters
When it comes to the tech lead role, team size plays a crucial factor in determining the balance between coding and leadership responsibilities:

🖥️ Smaller Teams: In smaller teams, tech leads often have more opportunities to be hands-on with coding. They can actively participate in development while still managing leadership duties.

📊 Larger Teams: As teams grow, tech leads may need to shift their focus. Larger teams typically require more coordination, communication, and strategic planning.

🔄 Adaptability: The key is to remain flexible. Tech leads should be prepared to adjust their involvement in coding based on the team’s current needs and project demands.

👨‍🏫 Mentoring Focus: In larger teams, tech leads may find themselves spending more time mentoring and guiding junior developers rather than directly coding.

🏗️ Architectural Oversight: With increased team size, tech leads often need to dedicate more time to ensuring architectural consistency across multiple projects or components.

I’ve encountered this article on The Pragmatic Engineer (https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/p/leading-effective-engineering-teams) that mentions a new book from Addy Osmani, Head of Chrome Developer Experience at Google, titled “Leading Effective Engineering Teams” (https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Effective-Engineering-Teams-Contributors/dp/109814824X). It offers valuable insights into engineering leadership and will be my next book to read.