Here's my take: - You need to think a certain way. You need to be able to see how to translate a problem into something a machine can execute. You need to be

Here's my take: - You need to think a certain way. You need to be able to see how to translate a problem into something a machine can execute. You need to be able to switch from the macro to the micro smoothly. - You need a certain level of proficiency with the tools you're using. Those can be programming languages/OSes/libraries/other software. - You need experience. Having seen different approaches to solving various problems. Which ones worked. Which didn't. Having tried a few different approaches, different languages. - You need domain knowledge. If you're working in a certain field you need to know the state of the art. You need to be able to read papers in the field. You need to be able to apply whatever techniques are required for the domain. - You need to be a problem solver. These are sort of basic table stakes for being a good "programmer". In most real world settings you need to have some more on top of that: - You'll need to be a good communicator. You will need to interact effectively with many different people, e.g. your boss, a product manager, junior developers. It's a team effort. - You need to understand users/customers. You need to be able to gather requirements, ask the right questions, and deliver something useful. - You need to understand the life-cycle of software. How long will it be in use? What sort of maintenance work will it need. How will it evolve? - You need to have some business understanding. Is what you're doing creating business value? - You need to appreciate the right trade-offs. Sometimes a crappy solution sooner wins over a perfect solution too late. And sometimes you should wait and have a perfect solution. That's just one example of a trade-off but our job is full of them. - You need perseverance. Sometimes things take longer than you think. Some bugs take a lot of work to chase down.