Career Growth
Levels, promotions, interviews and building a sustainable career.
Backend Engineer track
Junior
Write correct code, ship small changes safely, ask good questions.
Core: start here
- Brag DocumentA running record of your accomplishments.
10 more junior concepts
- Behavioral Interview (STAR)Answering with Situation, Task, Action and Result.
- BurnoutChronic work stress, and how to notice and prevent it.
- Career LadderThe levels and expectations from junior to principal.
- Contributing to Open SourceFinding issues, following the guidelines and opening PRs.
- Job SearchResumes, portfolios, applications and referrals.
- Junior EngineerLearning to deliver well-defined tasks with guidance.
- Performance ReviewA periodic assessment of your work.
- Side ProjectsBuilding outside work to learn and to show your skills.
- Sustainable PaceWorking at a pace you can keep up for years.
- Technical InterviewsCoding, system design and behavioral rounds.
Mid-level
Own a feature end to end without hand-holding.
Core: start here
- ImpactOutcomes that matter to the business, not just output.
- OwnershipTaking responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks.
5 more mid-level concepts
- Career ConversationsDiscussing goals and growth with your manager.
- Compensation and NegotiationSalary, equity and bonuses, and negotiating offers.
- Mid-Level EngineerDelivering features independently.
- PromotionShowing next-level scope before you get the title.
- T-Shaped SkillsBroad knowledge with deep expertise in one area.
Senior
Own a system, its failure modes, and its trade-offs.
Core: start here
- Handling AmbiguityMaking progress when the problem isn't well defined.
- ScopeHow big and ambiguous the problems you own are.
6 more senior concepts
- Generalist vs SpecialistThe trade-offs between breadth and depth.
- Glue WorkEssential but invisible work that keeps teams running.
- IC vs Management TrackTwo parallel career paths, and how to choose between them.
- Senior EngineerOwning systems and raising the team around you.
- Tech LeadLeading a team's technical direction while still writing code.
- Writing and Speaking PubliclyBlogs, talks and sharing what you learn.
Staff
Shape how many teams build, across systems.
- Engineering ManagerLeading people: hiring, growth, delivery and team health.
- Staff ArchetypesTech lead, architect, solver and right hand.
- Staff EngineerTechnical leadership across teams.
Principal
Set technical direction for the organization.
- Principal EngineerTechnical direction for a whole organization.
Data Engineer track
Junior
Build and fix pipelines from clear specs; write correct SQL.
Core: start here
- Brag DocumentA running record of your accomplishments.
10 more junior concepts
- Behavioral Interview (STAR)Answering with Situation, Task, Action and Result.
- BurnoutChronic work stress, and how to notice and prevent it.
- Career LadderThe levels and expectations from junior to principal.
- Contributing to Open SourceFinding issues, following the guidelines and opening PRs.
- Job SearchResumes, portfolios, applications and referrals.
- Junior EngineerLearning to deliver well-defined tasks with guidance.
- Performance ReviewA periodic assessment of your work.
- Side ProjectsBuilding outside work to learn and to show your skills.
- Sustainable PaceWorking at a pace you can keep up for years.
- Technical InterviewsCoding, system design and behavioral rounds.
Mid-level
Own pipelines and models end to end, including their quality.
- Career ConversationsDiscussing goals and growth with your manager.
- Compensation and NegotiationSalary, equity and bonuses, and negotiating offers.
- ImpactOutcomes that matter to the business, not just output.
- Mid-Level EngineerDelivering features independently.
- OwnershipTaking responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks.
- PromotionShowing next-level scope before you get the title.
- T-Shaped SkillsBroad knowledge with deep expertise in one area.
Senior
Design the platform's storage, processing and modeling choices.
- Generalist vs SpecialistThe trade-offs between breadth and depth.
- Glue WorkEssential but invisible work that keeps teams running.
- Handling AmbiguityMaking progress when the problem isn't well defined.
- IC vs Management TrackTwo parallel career paths, and how to choose between them.
- ScopeHow big and ambiguous the problems you own are.
- Senior EngineerOwning systems and raising the team around you.
- Tech LeadLeading a team's technical direction while still writing code.
- Writing and Speaking PubliclyBlogs, talks and sharing what you learn.
Staff
Shape how the whole organization produces and uses data.
- Engineering ManagerLeading people: hiring, growth, delivery and team health.
- Staff ArchetypesTech lead, architect, solver and right hand.
- Staff EngineerTechnical leadership across teams.
Principal
Set data strategy and architecture across the company.
- Principal EngineerTechnical direction for a whole organization.
Frontend Engineer track
Junior
Build UI that works, ship small changes safely, ask good questions.
Core: start here
- Brag DocumentA running record of your accomplishments.
10 more junior concepts
- Behavioral Interview (STAR)Answering with Situation, Task, Action and Result.
- BurnoutChronic work stress, and how to notice and prevent it.
- Career LadderThe levels and expectations from junior to principal.
- Contributing to Open SourceFinding issues, following the guidelines and opening PRs.
- Job SearchResumes, portfolios, applications and referrals.
- Junior EngineerLearning to deliver well-defined tasks with guidance.
- Performance ReviewA periodic assessment of your work.
- Side ProjectsBuilding outside work to learn and to show your skills.
- Sustainable PaceWorking at a pace you can keep up for years.
- Technical InterviewsCoding, system design and behavioral rounds.
Mid-level
Own a feature end to end without hand-holding.
Core: start here
- ImpactOutcomes that matter to the business, not just output.
- OwnershipTaking responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks.
5 more mid-level concepts
- Career ConversationsDiscussing goals and growth with your manager.
- Compensation and NegotiationSalary, equity and bonuses, and negotiating offers.
- Mid-Level EngineerDelivering features independently.
- PromotionShowing next-level scope before you get the title.
- T-Shaped SkillsBroad knowledge with deep expertise in one area.
Senior
Own an app's architecture, performance, and failure modes.
Core: start here
- Handling AmbiguityMaking progress when the problem isn't well defined.
- ScopeHow big and ambiguous the problems you own are.
6 more senior concepts
- Generalist vs SpecialistThe trade-offs between breadth and depth.
- Glue WorkEssential but invisible work that keeps teams running.
- IC vs Management TrackTwo parallel career paths, and how to choose between them.
- Senior EngineerOwning systems and raising the team around you.
- Tech LeadLeading a team's technical direction while still writing code.
- Writing and Speaking PubliclyBlogs, talks and sharing what you learn.
Staff
Shape how many teams build, across apps.
- Engineering ManagerLeading people: hiring, growth, delivery and team health.
- Staff ArchetypesTech lead, architect, solver and right hand.
- Staff EngineerTechnical leadership across teams.
Principal
Set technical direction for the organization.
- Principal EngineerTechnical direction for a whole organization.