Every month, we move our spotlight to someone behind In The Pocket's screens. Who are the people behind the digital products? What drives them? And what can they teach us? Time to pass the mic to Koen, one of our Team Leads!

"Letting go of full control is the necessary step each manager should take."

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What’s the top trait a team lead should have that no one told you about?

Having a good product sense is vital. Here at In The Pocket, we split up team leadership from product management for good reasons. However, as a team lead, combining a bit of both is essential in my opinion. Know your team and try to understand the products you're building.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

Finding and keeping the balance on having exactly the right amount of info. You want to be on top of everything and keep a clear overview, but losing yourself in details might work counterproductively. I would argue that it's not even realistic to begin with, especially when your team consists of 10 people or more. This is quite a challenge, but letting go of full control is the necessary step each manager should take.

Any quirky team habits or rituals you could tell us about?

Not so much a habit or ritual, but our team is considered one of the best national underwater football teams. It's about time to make this an official Olympic discipline.