1. Chasing Shiny Frameworks
Constantly learning new libraries and frameworks instead of mastering one major tool leads to burnout and holds developers back.
Hear it at 0:31 →Engineering video
3:55 · 13 May 2024
3 Signs You Are A Senior Developer Already
Chapters 5 sections
Key concepts in this video:
2. Thinking About Second-Order Consequences
Considering the consequences of the consequences of technical decisions, such as analyzing whether TypeScript type definitions will slow down development.
Hear it at 1:21 →3. Balancing Best Practices With Time to Market
Understanding that balance is key, such as realizing that 80% test coverage is often more than enough compared to wasting weeks trying to achieve 100%.
Hear it at 2:12 →4. Delivering End-to-End as a T-Shaped Developer
Being able to take features from requirements to production across the full stack while maintaining a balance of generic and specialized skills.
Hear it at 2:49 →Transcript
What if I told you that there are three secret things that if you're already doing, you might be a senior developer already, even if you don't feel like it. I've mentored over 250 JavaScript developers helping them get to the senior level and beyond. And I've observed some common traits that developers show when they're getting close to that senior level. And you know what's funny? These things don't have a lot to do with the years of experience you've got.
You'll see why in a minute. Today, I'm going to reveal what those three things are, and also a simple trick you can use right now to instantly boost your confidence as a software engineer. But first, what's the number one mistake JavaScript developers make that's holding them back when trying to get to senior developer? Now, this one is a bit obvious, but I still see developers making it all the time.
And you would think that this trend already died long ago, but no, it's still happening. And that is, chasing shiny frameworks and tools. Don't be just another victim of tech influencers who live off selling you these tools. Trying to learn Svelte, Vite, Rust, Next, Nest, Nast, or any of the other hundreds of libraries and frameworks where being fed off every single day, is the reason why most developers feel overwhelmed and burn out.
Stick to one framework and master it instead. The boring truth is that if you only stick to one major framework like React, Angular or Vue JS and master it, you'd make a lot more progress than just running around GitHub like a headless chicken. Now, moving on to the number one sign that you might already be a senior developer. And that is, you think about second-order consequences. This concept has been popularized by legendary investor Ray Dalio.
And it basically means considering the consequences of the consequences of the technical decisions you make. And if you do that, you might be very close to senior level. For example, if your team decides to introduce typescript in your code base because it will improve code quality, but you realize that type definitions can slow down development and correct types don't guarantee correct code. Then you raise that concern up and make a much more in-depth cost-benefit analysis before proceeding.
In other words, if you can already see it coming, Before it comes, you might be close to senior. Now, if you still struggle to understand second order consequences, then it might be because your fundamentals are weak, which means that you first should fix that before worrying about second order consequences. On to number two, that is, you can balance best practices with time to market. The key here, it's balance.
For example, when I was a junior developer, after reading a technical book on testing, I jumped in and spent weeks trying to get 100% test coverage for our React application. A wiser and much more senior me, years later, realized that 80% test coverage, it's more than enough, particularly if you are working at a startup. And moving on to that, most technical books are kind of garbage, but some are very, very good and they can take your developer career to a whole new level.
So, check out the end of this video to find out which top technical books we recommend at the senior dev. On to number three, you are able to deliver end-to-end. This is also one of the hardest things to achieve, but once you can do this, you are basically immune to layoffs. Yes, if you are able to get features from requirement to production across the full sack, then you are very close to senior developer.
For this, you want to become what we call a T-shaped developer and have a very good balance of generic and specialized skills. As you can see in the image, developers that can master one skill very well, for example, React developers, are I-shaped developers, experts at one thing. Generalists are capable in a lot of things, this is a typical jack Jane of all trades example, typical developer that can do many things, but when it's asked for a deeper opinion, cannot really handle it.
And finally, most senior developers are T-shaped developers. They are capable in a lot of things and experts in one of them. This is exactly what you should aim to become. Okay, I hope you enjoyed this. If you're a JavaScript developer looking to get to senior, we might also be able to help you. So check out the free training we've put together in the description for you where I share with you a step-by-step roadmap for you to get to the next level and I'll see you in the next one.