I like embedding, joint design sessions, and thorough code review. For explicit junior dev mentor relationships, I like frequent one-on-ones (I’ve even done 2x

I like embedding, joint design sessions, and thorough code review. For explicit junior dev mentor relationships, I like frequent one-on-ones (I’ve even done 2x per week) and quite detailed, joint ticket/work planning. I’m also happy to do pair code analysis/review for areas that I’m familiar with and the junior isn’t. What I’m not happy to do, and what pair programming is, as far as I have seen, is to sit down with another engineer and figure out a problem together. In addition to being simply incompatible with my mind’s problem-solving faculties, it in my experience produces lowest-common-denominator software that strips any sense of self-satisfaction or -actualization from my work. No thank you.