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 fo

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.