Select your current position
Pick a role and level — we'll show the growth path, skills and gap analysis.
Development path
Junior
0-2 years
Responsibility: Completing tasks under the guidance of senior colleagues. Learning the codebase, standards, and team processes. Writing code to spec, fixing simple bugs, writing tests.
Key skills:
Middle
2-5 years
Responsibility: Independently developing features from decomposition to deployment. Participating in code review. Optimizing performance. Mentoring junior developers. Taking part in architecture discussions.
Key skills:
Senior
5-8 years
Responsibility: Designing the architecture of components and services. Solving complex technical problems. Managing technical debt. Code review as a quality gatekeeper. Mentoring middle developers. Choosing technologies for new tasks.
Key skills:
Lead / Staff
7-12 years
Responsibility: Technical leadership of a team or area. Designing system architecture. Coordinating with other teams. Establishing standards and best practices. Participating in hiring. Planning the technical roadmap.
Key skills:
Principal
10+ years
Responsibility: Technical strategy at the company or domain level. Cross-organizational influence. Solving systemic business problems through technology. Mentoring lead engineers. Publicly representing the company.
Key skills:
Gap analysis: skills to develop
To reach the next level you'll need to develop:
Independently designs A/B tests: determines sample size, duration, and metrics. Works with tools (Optimizely, Google Optimize, VWO). Analyzes results considering statistical significance.
Prioritizes backlog using frameworks (RICE, WSJF, MoSCoW). Decomposes epics into stories, balances tech debt and feature work. Manages multiple backlogs in parallel.
Manages dependencies between teams. Proactively identifies risks. Creates dependency resolution plans.
Independently designs and analyzes product funnels. Conducts cohort analysis, segments users by behavior. Formulates data-driven conversion improvement hypotheses.
Designs experiments for hypothesis validation. Selects the appropriate method: A/B test, fake door test, Wizard of Oz, landing page test. Analyzes results and makes decisions.
Conducts JTBD interviews, creates job maps. Uses JTBD for feature prioritization (outcome-driven innovation). Builds an opportunity landscape based on unmet needs.
Conducts comprehensive market research: TAM/SAM/SOM, competitive landscape, market trends. Uses data to justify product decisions. Monitors the market on a regular basis.
Formulates OKRs for the product team. Defines leading and lagging indicators. Builds a product KPI monitoring system. Conducts OKR reviews and retrospectives.
Designs analytics architecture for the product. Creates complex funnels, cohort analyses, and retention curves. Uses SQL for custom queries against raw data.
Independently creates and maintains the product roadmap. Balances short-term and long-term initiatives. Communicates the roadmap to different audiences (tech team, business, executives).
Formulates product vision for their product, connecting it to business goals. Uses vision for feature prioritization and product decisions. Communicates vision to stakeholders.
Independently plans releases: scope, timeline, dependencies, risks. Coordinates releases with dev, QA, marketing, and support. Manages release communications.
Acts as Product Owner. Defines sprint goals, prioritizes backlog, makes scope decisions. Works closely with Scrum Master to improve processes.
Builds relationships with key stakeholders. Manages conflicting requests. Conducts stakeholder mapping (power/interest grid). Presents product updates at review meetings.
Independently plans and conducts research: selects methods, recruits respondents, analyzes results. Uses the JTBD framework for needs analysis. Synthesizes insights into actionable recommendations.
Independently conducts story mapping sessions with the team. Defines MVP through release slices. Uses story maps as a product scope communication tool.