What Makes A Senior Software Developer?

Programming as Theory Building: Why Senior Developers Are More Valuable Than Ever

Peter Naur's 1985 theory of programming explains why experience matters more in the age of AI-generated code

Software Developers Should Have Sysadmin Experience

The differences between system administrators and software developers as well as why all software developers should have some amount of sysadmin experience.

Leveling Up: Career Advancement for Software Developers | Peter Lyons

Staff Engineer, Back End

Death of a Software Developer

The software developer is a type of guy, and his decline will be cultural as well as economic

Death of a Software Developer

The software developer is a type of guy, and his decline will be cultural as well as economic

Death of a Software Developer

The software developer is a type of guy, and his decline will be cultural as well as economic

What do professional software developers need to know to succeed in an age of Artificial Intelligence?

Generative AI is showing early evidence of productivity gains for software developers, but concerns persist regarding workforce disruption and deskilling. We describe our research with 21 developers at the cutting edge of using AI, summarizing 12 of their work goals we uncovered, together with 75 associated tasks and the skills & knowledge for each, illustrating how developers use AI at work. From all of these, we distilled our findings in the form of 5 insights. We found that the skills & knowledge to be a successful AI-enhanced developer are organized into four domains (using Generative AI effectively, core software engineering, adjacent engineering, and adjacent non-engineering) deployed at critical junctures throughout a 6-step task workflow. In order to "future proof" developers for this age of AI, on-the-job learning initiatives and computer science degree programs will need to target both "soft" skills and the technical skills & knowledge in all four domains to reskill, upskill and safeguard against deskilling.

The Product-Minded Software Engineer

Product-minded engineers are developers with lots of interest in the product itself. They want to understand why decisions are made, how people use the product, and love to be involved in making product decisions. They're someone who would likely make a good product manager if they ever decide

Why nobody hires junior developers anymore

While the number of job opportunities for software developer skyrockets together with salaries all around the world, fresh grads and junior developers struggle to even get invited for the interviews. Why does it happen and can we do anything about it?

Now Hiring: Senior Open Source Maintainer

A rare opportunity to make a real impact in a fast-paced, high-visibility role.

Undervalued Software Engineering Skills: Writing Well

I have been coaching several experienced software engineers to further grow professionally, since transitioning [https://blog.pragmaticengineer.com/things-ive-learned-transitioning-from-engineer-to-engineering-manager/] to being an engineering manager. I have noticed a few skills that people often underestimate the importance of developing. Skills that add a

Staff Engineer: Leadership beyond the management track

At most technology companies, you'll reach Senior Software Engineer, the career level, in five to eight years. At that point your path branches, and you have the opportunity to pursue engineering management or continue down the path of technical excellence to become a Staff Engineer.

The developer’s dilemma

When it comes to making money, software developers are an odd bunch. Developers produce code, and code is in high demand. At a glance, it…

Habits of High-Functioning Teams

I often struggle to explain what it means to be part of a high-functioning software team. Sure, there are mountains of literature, and an entire genre of LinkedIn thought leadership that professes all kinds of guidelines and heuristics about what makes teams work, but in my experience, it’s hard to internalize these ideas and follow someone else’s model if you’ve never seen what good looks like.

Why Software Development Requires Servant Leaders

The idea of “servant” leaders has been on the rise in the agile community of late. Robert K. Greenleaf coined the term in a 1970 essay, but the idea is timeless.