Mental models from Senior Devs
Here’s a secret tip Bogdan and I learned after mentoring helping 350+ JS devs get to Senior level… This simple principle is so powerful that… When we plug it in with our students… They instantly…
Sep 10, 2025 · 2 MIN READ
Here’s a secret tip Bogdan and I learned after mentoring helping 350+ JS devs get to Senior level…
This simple principle is so powerful that… When we plug it in with our students…
They instantly start thinking like a Senior Engineer!
If you ever asked yourself what React.memo() and CDNs have in common, this is it…
They are both implementations of the same Mental Model!
That mental model is caching.
Caching at UI component level in the case of React.memo()... And caching at network level in the case of CDNs.
As you can see, even if the mental model is the same…
Its implementations can be completely different!
Which is why Junior and Mid-level devs feel that no matter how many libraries and frameworks they learn…
They can’t seem to catch up.
The problem is they are too focused on the implementation, while forgetting the "Why" behind it.
Senior Engineers focus on the Mental Model first!
So, next time you deal with a technical issue - be it a feature you are working on or a technical interview…
Ask yourself…
What’s the Mental Model behind this?
This way, you will be able to understand it at it’s core... Instead of getting distracted by its implementation details.
Some common mental models in the JS ecosystem:
Memorization/Caching - React.memo() in the UI, Redis on the backend.
Asynchronous Programming - async/await in Node.
Debouncing & Throttling - _.debounce() in a search bar, API rate-limits on the server.
State Machines - Redux, UI state or payment pipelines on the backend.
Separation of Concerns - React components on the front, microservices on the backend.
These are only a few.
But if you want Bogdan and I to make a full list of them… Reply to this email with “Senior Mental Models”.
If more than 50+ people answer, we will make it happen!
By the way, September has been a crazy month for our students.
Over 6 of them signed new offers… All while other devs are still on holidays!
Want this kind of results?
Check out here how we can help you!
Have a lovely week folks :)
Stay cool,
Dragos
P.S. Something BIG is cooking up this September... Which is why Bogdan and I haven't been so active online these days... Most of our time is spent behind the scenes with our mentees. But you will get a HUGE update soon! Stay tuned!
