> fake labels like "senior engineer" - and yet have never actually talked to a single user. You lost me there. What about that title is "fake"? To be clear, pe

> fake labels like "senior engineer" - and yet have never actually talked to a single user. You lost me there. What about that title is "fake"? To be clear, people pursue titles because they come with raises. Or rather, the title change is used to justify the raise. What does talking to a user have to do with anything? Is it important that a pharmaceutical chemist talk to prospective patients? Most software businesses have job functions that specifically deal with the user (design, UX, product, support, sales). As an engineer, nobody would oppose me pursuing interviews with users, it's just not a good use of my time when people I rely on (UX, etc.) already are doing it.