Much of the most widely used software in the world comes out of mid 20s so-called Senior Engineers in Silicon Valley (and other major US metros). Gatekeeping on

Much of the most widely used software in the world comes out of mid 20s so-called Senior Engineers in Silicon Valley (and other major US metros). Gatekeeping on the basis of years of experience is naive and unproductive. IMO "senior" is a function of behavior not time. At FAANG, levels are formally defined by traits. For example, a senior engineer can plan and lead 6-12 month long projects, delegating some parts of the implementation to others where appropriate. I personally was fulfilling this definition at 25 and I know several dozen others in similar situations.