The document discusses challenges senior developers may face and provides potential solutions. It notes senior developers sometimes fail technical interviews by being unable to code algorithms, present alternatives, or identify requirements. It then suggests senior developers focus on self-reflection through personality assessments, SWOT analyses, and setting goals and strategies. The document provides advice on overcoming issues like lack of creativity, saying yes too often, and not knowing how to lead others. It emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning and questioning.

1. I am a Senior Developer,
so now what?
Ionel Condor
@ionel_condor
November 2012

2. Why a talk about Seniors ?
Candidates failing to code a simple
algorithm
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Sr Mid Jr
Statistical data collected by Ionel during the last 7 years of
interviewing Developers

3. Why a talk about Seniors ?
Candidates failing to present
cutting-edge alternatives to a solution
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Sr Mid Jr
Statistical data collected by Ionel during the last 7 years of
interviewing Developers

4. Why a talk about Seniors ?
Candidates hiding the fact that they
simply do not have an immediate answer
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Sr Mid Jr
Statistical data collected by Ionel during the last 7 years of
interviewing Developers

5. Why a talk about Seniors ?
Candidates failing to identify non-
functional requirements
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Sr Mid Jr
Statistical data collected by Ionel during the last 7 years of
interviewing Developers

6. of Senior
Developers
?

7. Not spending time
with yourself

8. A Solution
Personalities SWOT
 Realistic
 Investigative
 Artistic
 Social
 Enterprising
 Conventional
DISC profiles
 Dominant: Direct/Decisive
 Influent: Optimist/Outgoing
 Steadiness: Cooperative
 Compliant: Concerned & Correct

9. Missing the Big Picture of
your professional life

10. Missio
Blah blah Vision Blah blah blah blah ….
n
by December 2012
Blah blah…. Blah with deadlines I will …
Goals Objective with …
about …
by …
as measured by ….
• Inspect & Adapt
• Lean Mentality • pair programming when needed
• Non prescribed • revisit the metrics
processes Strategy Tactics • check engineering practices
• restructure the teams
•
Scalability in
everything
Welcome change

11. A Solution
I bring value by
I dream to bring value developing
to every place where I Missio people, applying what I
work in such a way Vision know and continuously
that I also benefit from n learning things and
the value questioning my
practices
by December 2012
“put a deadline to your vision, I will …
and it becomes a goal” Goals Objective with …
about …
by …
as measured by ….
• Inspect & Adapt
• Lean Mentality • pair programming when needed
• Non prescribed • revisit the metrics
processes Strategy Tactics • check engineering practices
•
Scalability in • restructure the teams
everything
• Welcome change

12. Not questioning
your journey

13. A Solution
Expert
Needs to be
Proficient put in a
Needs context that
Competent unhindered favors his
practice and intuition and
Advanced Needs real the big
world creativity
Beginner general
exposure, Proce picture, Syste
Novice Needs ss Oriented m Oriented
simple, control
Needs led
recipes, monit simulations
oring and first
successes Master
Acts as a mentor
Journeyman
Fully educated in
a craft
Apprentice
Learns from a
master
“Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years”
(Peter Norvig)

14. Competency Matrix
Area Category N
Lev.
General Computer Data structures, Algorithms, System Programming, …
Science
Software VC, Automations, CI, SDLC as a whole, Processes,
Engineering Requirements Engineering, …
Programming Decompositions (problems & systems), Clean Code,
IDE, Languages, Refactoring, API, Frameworks, …
Experience Various Languages and in-depth for each, Platforms,
Domain Knowledge, …
Knowledge Current technologies, Upcoming technologies,
Platform internals, Sources of knowledge(books, …)
Source: http://www.indiangeek.net/wp-content/uploads/Programmer%20competency%20matrix.htm

15. Not understanding
Generations

16. A Solution

17. Career Switches
Work
Mid/Sr Dev
Jr Dev Dev Dev Dev
Dev Lead
Jr PM PM PM
Jr Dev Dev Dev
Manager Man Man
Life
Jr Husband and
Father

18. Now
A Solution 10 years
 Continue as a … Sr Developer & Architect (passion for
code!!!)
 Specialist in a niche ($$$)
 Generalist (low risks)
 Project Manager (processes)
 A Product Area: PO, Product/Program Manager (products &
vision)
 Engineering Manager (people & technology)
 Upper management (politics & vision)

19. Comfort zone

20. A Solution
 Face your fear
 Take risks
 Make a fool of yourself
 Explore new worlds
 Remember
your personality traits

21. Procrastination
I was going to do something today but I
haven’t finished
doing nothing from yesterday

22. A Solution
 Kill Distractions
 Get Organize
(GTD, Pomodoro, …)
 Change the
Environment
 Break it down

23. Lack of Creativity
& Innovation

24. A Solution
 Ask “what if? “
 Imagine
 Try new things
 Defocus to focus
 Behave like a child
 Be curious
 Question all you know
 Question your “best practices”

25. Saying Yes
all the time

26. A Solution
 Dare to question
the value
 Think business
 Know your domain
 Keep quality in mind

27. Not knowing how to lead people
that are smarter than you

28. A Solution
 Delegate authority , not tasks (develop leaders, not
followers)
 Help them grow or watch them go
 Develop the constraints, but let them create their rules
 Let them fail fast
 Ask them to anticipate things, not to react to things
 Discipline + Creativity + Productive paranoia = Great by
Choice
 Clearly communicate what you expect from them

29. Giving up

30. A Solution
“The important thing
is not to stop questioning.
Curiosity has its own reason for
existing”
(Albert Einstein )

31. Your checklist

32. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
PATIENCE !
MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU
AND KEEP YOU !
 Blog: http://ionelcondor.wordpress.com
 Email: ionel_condor@yahoo.com
 Twitter: @ionel_condor

33. Credits
 Public images taken from internet
 “Lean Startup” by Eric Ries
 “Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck
Why Some Thrive Despite Them All” by Jim Collins
 “Pragmatic Thinking and Learning:
Refactor Your Wetware” by Andy Hunt
 “Next Generation Leader:
5 Essentials for Those Who Will Shape the Future “
by Andy Stanley