Then you learn about software engineering, how to structure programs into patterns that are scalable and maintainable, and refactor legacy code. Then you're a s

Then you learn about software engineering, how to structure programs into patterns that are scalable and maintainable, and refactor legacy code. Then you're a software engineer. Eventually, you get promoted and start designing systems only on whiteboards. Then, you're an architect. Or, if you get tired of any of the above, then you're a manager instead of an IC.