Level path

Software Developer

Dev

Own features and services with solid implementation judgment across neighboring layers.

Total concepts100

Curated for this specific career level.

Specific to this level52

Concepts explicitly listed in this level.

Knowledge tracks5

Concepts span multiple tracks and layers.

Job description signalsTypical responsibilities

Own features end to end from design through implementation, testing, release, and support.
Make local technical tradeoffs and explain them clearly to teammates.
Improve reliability, maintainability, and observability of the systems you touch.
Collaborate with product, design, QA, operations, and adjacent engineering teams.

Cumulative view includes

Dev / Junior Dev

Specific to this level 52Cumulative 100

Track / layer masteryConcept coverage by layer

{}

Software

40 concepts

Software Design17 Programming10 Programming Languages6 Databases5 Quality Assurance2

MGT

Management

6 concepts

Requirements & Planning4 Delivery Methodologies1 Team Leadership1

OPS

Operations

4 concepts

Build & Packaging1 Continuous Integration1 Deployment1 Observability1

DATA

Data

2 concepts

Data Foundations2

{}

Software

69 concepts

Programming22 Software Design18 Programming Languages13 Algorithms & Data Structures7 Databases5 Quality Assurance3 Operating Systems1

MGT

Management

16 concepts

Business Foundations10 Requirements & Planning4 Delivery Methodologies1 Team Leadership1

OPS

Operations

9 concepts

Build & Packaging5 Local Development1 Continuous Integration1 Deployment1 Observability1

UX

Product

4 concepts

Developer Tools4

DATA

Data

2 concepts

Data Foundations2

Learning scopeConcepts by learning area

Specific to this level

Concepts introduced by this level

01

Level concepts

Application Design

Mid-level developers own complete features and make local design choices inside an established architecture.

Object-Oriented ProgrammingSoftware · Programmingworkingnew InterfaceSoftware · Software Designworkingnew CompositionSoftware · Software Designnew CouplingSoftware · Software Designnew CohesionSoftware · Software Designnew Design PatternSoftware · Software Designnew RefactoringSoftware · Software Designnew AbstractionSoftware · Software Designnew EncapsulationSoftware · Software Designnew InheritanceSoftware · Software Designnew PolymorphismSoftware · Software Designnew ClosureSoftware · Programmingnew ImmutabilitySoftware · Programmingnew Side EffectSoftware · Programmingnew Higher-Order FunctionSoftware · Programmingnew Generic ProgrammingSoftware · Programmingnew Inversion of ControlSoftware · Software Designnew YAGNISoftware · Software Designnew Code ComplexitySoftware · Software Designnew Cyclomatic ComplexitySoftware · Software Designnew Cognitive ComplexitySoftware · Software Designnew

02

Level concepts

Runtime & Data

Feature ownership requires practical knowledge of runtimes, memory management, and relational persistence.

RuntimeSoftware · Programming Languagesworkingnew Garbage CollectionSoftware · Programming Languagesworkingnew Relational DatabaseSoftware · Databasesnew SQLSoftware · Databasesnew Database IndexSoftware · Databasesnew QueryData · Data Foundationsnew Data ModelData · Data Foundationsnew Call StackSoftware · Programmingnew Heap MemorySoftware · Programmingnew Event LoopSoftware · Programmingnew SerializationSoftware · Programmingnew JoinSoftware · Databasesnew Write-Ahead LogSoftware · Databasesnew Abstract Syntax TreeSoftware · Programming Languagesnew LexerSoftware · Programming Languagesnew ParserSoftware · Programming Languagesnew BytecodeSoftware · Programming Languagesnew

03

Level concepts

Delivery & Collaboration

Professional development includes the complete implementation loop, not only editing source files.

Code ReviewManagement · Team Leadershipworkingnew Contract TestingSoftware · quality-assuranceworkingnew Software DeploymentOperations · Deploymentnew CI/CD PipelineOperations · Continuous Integrationnew LoggingOperations · Observabilitynew Integration TestSoftware · quality-assurancenew MockSoftware · Software Designnew Semantic VersioningOperations · Build & Packagingnew Requirements EngineeringManagement · Requirements & Planningnew PRDManagement · Requirements & Planningnew TSDSoftware · Software Designnew Product BacklogManagement · Requirements & Planningnew Backlog RefinementManagement · Requirements & Planningnew SprintManagement · Delivery Methodologiesnew

Cumulative level expectation

All concepts expected at this level

01

Inherited path

Coding Foundations

Developers begin by learning to translate requirements into working, readable code.

GPLSoftware · Programming Languagesworking Source CodeSoftware · Programming Languagesawareness FunctionSoftware · Programmingawareness Control FlowSoftware · Programming ArraySoftware · Algorithms & Data Structures Hash TableSoftware · Algorithms & Data Structures Synchronous ProgrammingSoftware · Programming Asynchronous ProgrammingSoftware · Programming VariableSoftware · Programming StateSoftware · Programming RecursionSoftware · Programming StackSoftware · Algorithms & Data Structures QueueSoftware · Algorithms & Data Structures Linked ListSoftware · Algorithms & Data Structures Binary SearchSoftware · Algorithms & Data Structures SortingSoftware · Algorithms & Data Structures Imperative ProgrammingSoftware · Programming Declarative ProgrammingSoftware · Programming Procedural ProgrammingSoftware · Programming Static TypingSoftware · Programming Languages Dynamic TypingSoftware · Programming Languages Type SystemSoftware · Programming Languages

02

Inherited path

Developer Tooling

Daily development depends on version control, language tooling, static checks, and repeatable local workflows.

GitProduct · Developer Toolsawareness CompilerSoftware · Programming Languagesawareness InterpreterSoftware · Programming Languages Package ManagerOperations · Build & Packaging LintingOperations · Build & Packaging Code EditorProduct · Developer Tools CLISoftware · Operating Systems Version ControlProduct · Developer Tools DependencyOperations · Build & Packaging ArtifactOperations · Build & Packaging Development EnvironmentOperations · Local Development Software EcosystemSoftware · Programming

03

Inherited path

Testing & Debugging

A developer owns not only writing code, but proving that it behaves as intended.

Unit TestSoftware · quality-assuranceawareness DebuggerProduct · Developer Toolsawareness Error HandlingSoftware · Programming Code DocumentationSoftware · Software Design

04

Inherited path

Employment Basics

Technical candidates benefit from understanding who employs them, how they are paid, and which terms govern the working relationship.

EmployeeManagement · business-foundationsawareness ContractorManagement · business-foundationsawareness EORManagement · business-foundations Offer LetterManagement · business-foundations Employment ContractManagement · business-foundations CompensationManagement · business-foundations Employee BenefitsManagement · business-foundations Equity CompensationManagement · business-foundations PayrollManagement · business-foundations Statement of WorkManagement · business-foundations

05

Path concepts

Application Design

Mid-level developers own complete features and make local design choices inside an established architecture.

Object-Oriented ProgrammingSoftware · Programmingworkingnew InterfaceSoftware · Software Designworkingnew CompositionSoftware · Software Designnew CouplingSoftware · Software Designnew CohesionSoftware · Software Designnew Design PatternSoftware · Software Designnew RefactoringSoftware · Software Designnew AbstractionSoftware · Software Designnew EncapsulationSoftware · Software Designnew InheritanceSoftware · Software Designnew PolymorphismSoftware · Software Designnew ClosureSoftware · Programmingnew ImmutabilitySoftware · Programmingnew Side EffectSoftware · Programmingnew Higher-Order FunctionSoftware · Programmingnew Generic ProgrammingSoftware · Programmingnew Inversion of ControlSoftware · Software Designnew YAGNISoftware · Software Designnew Code ComplexitySoftware · Software Designnew Cyclomatic ComplexitySoftware · Software Designnew Cognitive ComplexitySoftware · Software Designnew

06

Path concepts

Runtime & Data

Feature ownership requires practical knowledge of runtimes, memory management, and relational persistence.

RuntimeSoftware · Programming Languagesworkingnew Garbage CollectionSoftware · Programming Languagesworkingnew Relational DatabaseSoftware · Databasesnew SQLSoftware · Databasesnew Database IndexSoftware · Databasesnew QueryData · Data Foundationsnew Data ModelData · Data Foundationsnew Call StackSoftware · Programmingnew Heap MemorySoftware · Programmingnew Event LoopSoftware · Programmingnew SerializationSoftware · Programmingnew JoinSoftware · Databasesnew Write-Ahead LogSoftware · Databasesnew Abstract Syntax TreeSoftware · Programming Languagesnew LexerSoftware · Programming Languagesnew ParserSoftware · Programming Languagesnew BytecodeSoftware · Programming Languagesnew

07

Path concepts

Delivery & Collaboration

Professional development includes the complete implementation loop, not only editing source files.

Code ReviewManagement · Team Leadershipworkingnew Contract TestingSoftware · quality-assuranceworkingnew Software DeploymentOperations · Deploymentnew CI/CD PipelineOperations · Continuous Integrationnew LoggingOperations · Observabilitynew Integration TestSoftware · quality-assurancenew MockSoftware · Software Designnew Semantic VersioningOperations · Build & Packagingnew Requirements EngineeringManagement · Requirements & Planningnew PRDManagement · Requirements & Planningnew TSDSoftware · Software Designnew Product BacklogManagement · Requirements & Planningnew Backlog RefinementManagement · Requirements & Planningnew SprintManagement · Delivery Methodologiesnew