In this episode of The Retrospective podcast, co-hosts Jeremy and Peter delve into the characteristics that define a senior software engineer. They explore the multifaceted nature of seniority, emphasizing that it is not just about years of experience but a blend of technical expertise, business awareness, team impact, and leadership skills. Through analogies and personal anecdotes, they illustrate how senior engineers are not just adept at coding but also act as multipliers of their team’s success. They discuss the holistic view and forward-thinking mindset expected of senior engineers, drawing on examples from their own careers. The episode also touches on the importance of fostering growth in others, handling technical debt pragmatically, and effectively communicating complex technical topics.

Advice is offered to engineering managers on how to guide team members aspiring to reach senior levels, emphasizing the importance of demonstrating these traits consistently over time.

Here are some articles and further food for thought:

Senior Engineers Reduce Risk

Levels of Seniority

Why senior engineers get nothing done

An incomplete list of skills senior engineers need, beyond coding

Looking a bit further ahead of the Senior level:

What a Senior Staff Software Engineer Actually Does

VP, Director, what?

00:00 Intro

00:36 Overview

01:40 Senior People Operate on a Different Time Horizon

05:07 The Impact a Senior Engineer Can Have

06:38 Technical Expertise

08:16 Team Impact

11:44 Business Awareness

16:02 How They Behave

18:34 Demonstrating Leadership

20:29 Advice for Engineering Managers

25:42 Summing it up!

26:18 Outro