Level 10

Communication

• documents code using standard code documenting formats and approaches including block documents and readmes
• offers constructive feedback to peers, sometimes without being asked
• Provides status updates when asked
• Summarizes technical blockers (issues that are keeping them from making progress) in writing for stakeholders
• Commits in repos are clearly written and accurate
• Feelings are sometimes expressed as reactions, rather than considered responses

Leading

• documenting processes and procedures for the rest of the staff
• starts making decisions that may affect others (but may not)
• volunteers to do things outside her job description because she realizes that sometimes the company benefits from the help
• insights are limited to “obvious” things such as a lack of automated tests or documentation, but maybe not “tests as documentation…”

Learning

• reads books
• subscribes to tech blogs
• has done some online courses
• Takes copious notes when working on projects
• Takes risks from time to time to test ideas and expectations

Knows when to ask for help when they are becoming stuck; does not go down rabbit holes.

Ownership

• Owns their own tasks without guidance: Ownership = responsible for estimation, planning, quality, and executing
• Asks product owner for clarification, perhaps with hesitation, prior to starting to program, when requirements are unclear.
• Asks for help from supervisor or other developers when unsure about how to proceed. However, prior to asking for help, does some research into what the problem and potential solutions are and summarizes the issue prior to interrupting others.
• Participates in sprint planning, providing input on both scope and priority as they understand it at this level and time in their career. For example, if the dev perceives the priority of tasks to be incorrect, she will suggest a new prioritization for a reason.

Technical

• Able to contribute to project work with some supervision
• Pull requests may not be “good enough” without significant feedback on code quality
• Able to follow patterns already present in a project without necessarily understanding what the pattern is or why it is used
• Unable to produce novel solutions to new problems
• Agrees to complete any task asked of them regardless of whether they understand it or not.
• When they get stuck - they think the problem is them and not the difficulty of the task given to them