I recommend reading the whole series of posts; I am only part way through, but it has been very enlightening.[0] Getting out of this trap is what motivated my

I recommend reading the whole series of posts; I am only part way through, but it has been very enlightening.[0] Getting out of this trap is what motivated my first two job changes. I think there are a few things that are useful in staying on the narrow, difficult road to true expertise[1]: - Engagement with the wider technology community. You need to know where the global maxima are - An insistence on objective measurement and argument, rather than subjective assessment - A low tolerance for cognitive dissonance or sacrifices in quality to meet a deadline - A willingness to follow through and see the fruits of one's labor - As a corollary to the previous point, an insistence on shortening the feedback cycle as much as possible - Actively working to make it safe for others to criticize you and a willingness to say "I don't know" (in case you didn't know, criticizing others is genuinely very frightening for most people) - Greater graciousness towards subordinates, less towards superiors (the reverse of typical corporate culture) [0] http://www.daedtech.com/tag/expert-beginner/ http://www.daedtech.com/tag/expert-beginner/ [1] Not that I am an expert, just that I know I'm not an expert; and that I have met enough of both real experts and expert beginners to tell the difference.