**Parent Topic**: [[Software/README]] ## Judgment, Not Knowledge Schlossnagle's pet peeve: junior engineers applying for senior roles on the presumption that *knowledge* dictates rank. It doesn't. "The single biggest characteristic of a senior engineer is consistent and solid good judgment." Knowledge is necessary but not sufficient. ## The Seniority Equation Good judgment requires exposure to situations that demand it, so seniority is roughly the *rate* of difficult, judgment-requiring situations multiplied by *tenure*. You can fast-track by landing somewhere disasters strike at every moment; you can also spend ten years in a quiet role and accrue no valuable experience. Not everyone can be senior. ## Against Immediate Gratification He criticizes the expectation — sharpened in Gen X/Y cultures of immediate gratification — that a smart engineer reaches the highest ranks within five years. If you are "senior" at five years, what are you at fifteen — "super-duper engineer"? His advice to newcomers: be patient. The mastery substrate is [[Four Pursuits of Operational Mastery]]. --- *Source: [[Web Operations]] (Allspaw & Robbins, O'Reilly 2010) — Ch 1 — Web Operations: The Career*