How to be an epic lead
This guidance is aimed at helping new epic leads on the Design System squad get started in the role.
Background info
In a previous squad health check the following action was agreed:
Each epic has a lead who helps move the work at pace and ensures there is effective communication inside and outside the team.
This role was introduced to the Design System squad in 2023.
What is an epic lead?
An epic lead is a pragmatic coordinator. They are interested in, passionate about, or an expert in the subject matter.
They are the person assigned to care about seeing the work delivered, and a conduit between delivery manager, product manager and the epic.
To ensure the role is achievable and sustainable, each individual is limited to leading two epics at any one time.
What an epic lead is responsible for
Ensures work on the epic remains visible to the team
This usually means creating cards in GitHub for the tasks assocaited with the epic, and having conversations with the squad to assign roles. The epic lead should also encourage the squad to work openly in Slack, sharing key decisions and updates so the work remains visible to the rest of the team.
Keeps epic work flowing at pace, ensuring the squad are working together
Regular stand ups are a good way to keep an epic flowing at pace. It can allow the epic lead to spot blockers and escalate issues and concerns. If working alongside a delivery manager in a squad, they can support with this. During the scoping phase of a brief, it’s useful to draft a high level delivery plan with healthy deadlines which can help keep an epic on track.
Ensures GitHub cards are kept up to date
An epic lead should ensure all cards related to the epic are showing the correct status on the cycle board (eg “in progress”), the ‘done whens’ are updated, and cards are closed when completed. They should document all key decisions regarding the epic on the relevant GitHub card. This can serve as a reference point in future for the team.
Coordinates mid-cycle demos and show & tell updates
The epic lead does not need to deliver the demo or show & tell but does need organise the update on the behalf of the squad. This usually involves having a conversation with the squad a few days before mid-cycle demo or show & tell to discuss what is being shown and by who.
Helps break gridlock when there’s uncertainty or ambiguity
Squads can often become blocked if there’s a complex decision to make. The epic lead should facilitate the decision making and propose a way forward. They can get support from product and delivery managers to do this.
Escalates issues and blockers to the delivery manager and product manager
If an epic lead finds an issue/blocker that impacts the squad’s ability to deliver, they should flag this with the product and delivery managers.
What an epic lead doesn’t do
- Make all the decisions
- Be the only person drafting goals or speaking at show & tell
- Replace the delivery manager or product manager
Working with the delivery manager and product manager
An epic lead will meet with the team leads regularly for support in their role.
This meeting can be used for a number of things such as:
- roadmapping next steps
- escalating issues or blockers
- help with decision making
- help with visibility of work