> And instead take the time to study a topic deeply? Three options: 1. Go back to university, get a PhD 2. Go work for a research institute (may require (1))

> And instead take the time to study a topic deeply? Three options: 1. Go back to university, get a PhD 2. Go work for a research institute (may require (1)) 3. Become a subject matter expert (SME) and focus on one area of the business > I find myself finishing endless user stories but my technical skills seem stagnant Well, you already aren't a pragmatic programmer then. You should be constantly learning, constantly looking for new and interesting work (internal or external to your employment). Engaging with your management to get put on the more interesting tasks. Want an example of a pragmatic SME I knew? He was a EE, wanted to do software. So he bought a couple embedded dev boards and started learning. He brought in a demo to the software manager and said, "I want to be on your team, here's what I can do now." The manager was impressed and they moved him over to that team. He was truly a subject matter expert, and also pragmatic. Funny, no conflict between the two.