The long strange trip of a senior developer
summary
Conference talk presents in-depth research across companies and a concrete six-point plan to keep developers contributing for decades, not just 10–15 years. It defines 12 traits (grouped into technical, leadership, connectedness), shows what artifacts prove them, and proposes a distinguishable engineering track so experience captures pay instead of funneling people into management. It argues for a 45-year perspective, a career map, a board of advisors, and measurable signals to avoid burnout and premature exits.
AI-written summary · about
chapters (21)
- 0:00Intro
- 0:16The Long Strange Trip of a Senior Developer
- 3:16Existential Crises
- 9:41Program a bunch 2. ??? 3. Senior Developer!
- 10:07Groundhog Day
- 11:55Total existential meltdown
- 13:30Gymnast vs. Marathoner
- 16:46We need folks that know which 9 of 10 problems don't need to be solved in the first place.
- 19:19The 6-Point Plan
- 19:49Take a breath
- 21:10Find your board of advisors
- 22:54Design your map
- 24:41Senior Phoenix Developer.
- 24:52Senior Rails Developer.
- 25:1412 traits of a senior dev
- 36:36Pitch your plan
- 37:07Plan your exit
- 37:29Change your plans
- 37:41Back to the crises
- 38:06Where is my Obi-Wan?
- 38:16Am I a real developer yet?
related talks
18mThe Art and Science of Thriving Developers
46mSenior Developer with 6 Years' Experience, What Next?
36mWhat’s next for senior developers? The IC track missing manual
29mThe Constant Life of a Tech Lead
47mDeveloper first – a new Leadership Mindset
30mDeveloper First – A New Leadership Mindset
01h 01mLessons from a lifetime of doing, teaching, managing, and leading technical development
58mHow to survive and thrive as an engineering leader