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I think "senior engineer" is just a role with responsibilities that include the stuff in the posted article. There's no realistic expectation that someone can

I think "senior engineer" is just a role with responsibilities that include the stuff in the posted article. There's no realistic expectation that someone can be successful at all of this all of the time, but the role requires making a credible effort. The work needs to get done and there are no candidates with perfect skills waiting in the wings.

jghn 5y ago
Exactly. I've been kicking around for about 20 years or so. This list captures many things I've found set great developers apart from the pack. With few exceptions [0], people who only bring amazing engineering skills will be held back without some ability in these areas. That said, this isn't the sort of thing people should see as a checklist. Rather they're skills you should keep in mind and always seek to improve upon regardless of where you're at. [0] The exceptions are generally people with deep expertise in domains where that's a rare attribute
- throwawaaarrgh 5y ago
  You could also see it as a Peter Principle checklist. If you do all of those things all the time, someone is going to think that you're so great that they might promote you right out of software development and into management. So if you want to stay a developer, maybe try to leave a few boxes unchecked :-)
  - bcrosby95 5y ago
    That should be covered under non-senior-engineer: learn how to say "no" ;)
  - windowojji 5y ago
    > promote you right out of software development and into management At good companies, these two jobs run parallel, not one on top of the other. Management should be viewed as a sidegrade, not a promotion.