Mental Model
Four axes define engineering seniority in most ladders:
scope: size of problems you own (a module → a system → a portfolio).autonomy: how much guidance you need (task-level → problem-level → mission-level).ambiguity: how fuzzy the problem is (clear ticket → vague outcome → undefined strategy).influence: who you move (yourself → your team → multiple teams/orgs).
As you climb, you don’t just write more code—you reduce uncertainty for others.
