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My boss keeps using that term and it's completely meaningless. I think it's a feel-good term that execs like to get more productivity out of their team (who wou

My boss keeps using that term and it's completely meaningless. I think it's a feel-good term that execs like to get more productivity out of their team (who wouldn't want to be "world class"?). A quality engineer is one who: - can solve problems on their own to deliver on commitments - teaches themselves new technologies to stay current - knows when to ask for help vs hunkering down - provides constructive, experience-based insight when applicable A "world class" engineer sounds like "rockstar", which is maybe the first two of those bullet points, but it completely ignores the communication aspect. Maybe "world class" means something more to someone else, but I think it's just jargon.

peterwwillis 8y ago
To me, "world-class software engineer" is literal - an engineer who can thrive anywhere in the world, ideally in any situation one needs software development for. That means understanding industrial processes as much as dot-com tech lingo. The difference between designing for regulatory requirements and putting up a cookie consent waiver. Being able to effectively mentor junior engineers and continually refresh one's knowledge. The ability to navigate office politics and push back on unhealthy work-life balance. And of course, computer science academics. "World class engineer" may just be jargon, but it's also aspirational. I know people who taught themselves JavaScript and Python in a year and are working at tech giants, and people who've been working in tech for 30 years and struggle to lead a small team. Maybe if we had a roadmap for what makes a world-class engineer, it might become easier to rise to that level.