30 seconds to Senior
In March, it’s been 12 years since I got my first job as a programmer. I was building scrapers with Python for our SEO team. Today, a decade later, I am still coding. And the worst part? I don’t feel…
Mar 31, 2026 · 1 MIN READ
In March, it’s been 12 years since I got my first job as a programmer.
I was building scrapers with Python for our SEO team.
Today, a decade later, I am still coding.
And the worst part?
I don’t feel even close to the end of my journey.
Announcement: Bogdan and I just launched a podcast where we talk about AI, JavaScript, and the future of Software Engineering. Subscribe here.
I'm still learning new things every day.
Browser behaviour. Networking. Even operating systems.
Back in my Junior dev days, this “constant learning” would overwhelm the hell out of me.
Not today.
What happens as you progress towards Senior Dev is…
You learn how to use the fundamentals in order to intuitively deduct other knowledge.
So you slow down.
And start asking smarter questions:
Where’s CPU time being spent?
Backend? Rendering?
Is it latency… or payload size?
Then you follow the chain.
So I guess the biggest difference between Junior and Senior Dev… Is how methodic you are in your problem solving.
When a bug appears… Do you panic and blindly ask Claude Code to fix it?
Or do you spend some time trying to understand what happens?
That extra 30 seconds of "thinking time” is the difference between unemployed and Senior Dev.
And talking about getting Senior…
March spots for the Software Mastery Mentorship are full.
Bogdan and I are packing our bags for Easter break. Applications will open again starting next week.
Hope you will take some time to rest :)
Hear you next week,
Dragos
P.S. Ohh… And btw. What’s the next thing you want us to talk about in the Podcast series? Just reply to this email and I will add it to the list. Ciaooo!
