Launched this week
Technical Lead Simulator
Can you survive a P0 Production Outage at 2 AM?
14 followers
Can you survive a P0 Production Outage at 2 AM?
14 followers
A realistic role-playing game for Tech Leads and Product Managers. A complex narrative engine with 350+ possible path variations during a critical outage. Your choices impact system uptime, CEO Trust, and team morale. Master the soft skills of Product Engineering.
Hi Product Hunt! 👋
I am Anantha Subramaniam, a Product Manager and former C/C++ developer and lead engineer with 14+ years of experience shipping desktop & web products.
We have endless tools to practice coding (LeetCode, HackerRank).
But we have zero tools to practice the hardest part of the job: The Panic.
I built Tech Lead Simulator because I’ve seen too many brilliant engineers get promoted to Team Lead, only to crash and burn when:
- Production goes down at 2 AM.
- The CEO calls demanding an ETA.
- They have to choose between a "quick hack" and a "proper fix" while the clock is ticking.
This isn't a multiple-choice quiz. It’s a branching narrative engine with potential 350+ outcomes.
- Ignore the CEO? Your "Trust Score" drops.
- Micromanage your team? Morale tanks.
- Fix the bug but lose the data? You might get fired.
What you get inside:
⚡ Real-world Crisis Scenarios: No "foo bar" examples.
🌲 Complex Decision Trees: Every choice changes the ending.
📊 Soft Skills Scoring: We track your Communication and Leadership, not just your code logic.
I would love for you to try the "2 AM Outage" scenario (it's free).
I'd love to hear from the Engineering Managers here -
which soft skill scenario do you find most challenging to coach in real life?
Happy debugging!
Anantha Subramaniam.R
@pingananth congrats on the launch! You're absolutely right—communication and leadership matter just as much as the code you write.
What was the turning point for you? When did you realize soft skills aren't optional for engineers anymore?
@amit_turan Thank you for your wishes and validation.
I realized this late in my career.
Once I got a feedback to improve my communication which I took seriously and worked hard.
But once I trained I couldn't unsee it in every engineer.
That's how I came up with this tool.
Thanks for asking once again!
@pingananth cool, Wish you the best!
Great product that addresses a gap in the market.
There are many Leetcode style, and System Design style interview platforms, yet often, when we come to behavioural interviews it's just questions and perhaps example answers.
Look forward to watching this product develop, and to the different scenarios that will continue to come out!
@jan_mieszczak1 Thank you so much for your feedback. Yes, developers ace all the hard skills but still get frustrated in day to day conversations especially when they transition to people management. My vision is to make this as a LeetCode for Managers. Thanks for your support!