I used to think becoming a senior developer meant mastering advanced algorithms, design patterns, and maybe picking up a third framework.
Nope.
The moment I realized this was during a project refinement. We were going to build this fantastic feature that the whole team was convinced would be awesome. My product owner asked one question: "But did it solve the customer's actual problem?"
Uhm...
The Myth of "Technical Excellence = Seniority"
Some developers believe the path to senior looks like this:
- Master advanced TypeScript
- Learn system design
- Contribute to open source
- Get really good at LeetCode
And sure, technical skills do matter! But the gap between junior and senior developers is rarely just technical.
I learned this the hard way. And recently, when I interviewed Nadia Makarevich (author of Advanced React), she said something that crystallized everything: "Code by itself is mostly worthless."
Your perfectly crafted React component means nothing if it doesn't solve a real business problem. Your elegant algorithm is worthless if it's solving the wrong pain point.
What Actually Makes You Senior
Senior developers don't just slam dunk code into a repository (because of my height I will never be able to do a slam dunk...sad). They connect technical solutions to real business needs.
Here's what that looks like in practice:
Before writing any code, they ask:
- What customer problem does this solve?
- Why is product prioritizing this over other features?
- What's the business impact if we ship this vs. delay it?
During development, they:
- Identify every stakeholder (not just other engineers)
- Create roadmaps that align with business goals
- Break work into tasks that make sense to non-technical people
- Update stakeholders throughout—not just at the end
After shipping, they:
- Measure impact, not just completion
- Connect their work to customer outcomes
- Understand what marketing, product, and support need
The technical implementation? We've got AI for that now. The business thinking? That's what separates developers who code from developers who create impact!
Why This Is Hard (And Why Nobody Teaches It)
I spent years thinking "business stuff" wasn't my job. I'm an engineer, so surely my job is to write code.
That mindset kept me junior far longer than it should have.
The problem is that there's not a lot of talk about these skills, according to Nadia. I've seen it too: bootcamps teach React, online courses teach algorithms...but who teaches you how to:
- Translate customer pain into technical requirements?
- Prioritize features based on business impact?
- Communicate technical trade-offs to non-engineers?
- Collaborate with marketing, product, and support?
These skills are usually learned through painful trial and error.
How to Actually Develop Business Thinking
When I became a team lead, I had to learn this fast. Here's what actually worked:
Start with stakeholder mapping
Next time you get a feature request, pause. Before you open your editor, identify:
- Who requested this and why?
- Who will use this feature?
- Who needs updates during development?
- Who measures success of this feature?
This simple exercise changes a lot. Suddenly you're not just implementing a ticket—you're solving a real problem for real people.
Learn to ask "why" three times
Product says: "We need a dark mode."
- Why? "Users are requesting it."
- Why do users want it? "They work late and it hurts their eyes."
- Why is this a priority now? "Customer surveys show it's blocking enterprise deals."
Now you understand the business context. Maybe you realize a "focus mode" with reduced brightness solves the same problem faster. Maybe you discover the real issue is font contrast, not colors.
Attend meetings outside engineering
This was uncomfortable at first. But sitting in on product planning, customer calls, and marketing syncs taught me more about business thinking than any engineering meeting.
You don't need to attend everything of course. But sitting in once a quarter, if possible, helps you understand how other departments work—and how your code impacts them.
Respect (and admire) other departments
As Nadia Makarevich mentioned in our interview: "respect and admire other departments".
- Marketing isn't "just doing ads." They're understanding customer psychology, crafting messages, and driving revenue.
- Product isn't "telling us what to build." They're balancing customer needs, business goals, and technical constraints.
- Support isn't "handling complaints." They're the frontline understanding where your code actually breaks down.
Green Flags You're Developing Business Skills
You know you're on the right track when:
- You find yourself asking "why" before "how"
- You can explain your work's impact without technical jargon
- You proactively update non-engineering stakeholders
- You push back on features when the business case isn't clear
- You see patterns between customer problems and technical solutions
- You get invited to planning meetings outside engineering
Try This Tomorrow
Next time you get a feature request:
- Pause before coding—Don't open your editor yet
- Identify stakeholders—Who cares about this beyond your team?
- Understand the business goal—What customer problem does this solve?
- Plan communication—When will you update people, and what will you tell them?
- Ask one "why" question—Even if you think you know the answer
The Uncomfortable Truth
You can stay a great coder forever and never become senior.
I've seen developers with 10 years of experience still writing code in isolation, wondering why they're not getting promoted. Meanwhile, developers with 3 years of experience who understand business context become team leads.
The main difference? Business thinking!
Your perfectly crafted code doesn't matter if it solves the wrong problem. Your elegant architecture is worthless if nobody understands why it exists.
Senior developers bridge the gap between technical execution and business impact.
Where to Start
If this resonates but feels overwhelming, start small:
- This week: Before starting your next task, identify three stakeholders and one business goal.
- This month: Ask to shadow a product manager for a customer call.
- This quarter: Attend one meeting outside engineering and share one insight back with your team.
You don't need to become a business expert overnight of course, but start seeing your code as a solution to real problems, not just an implementation of technical requirements.
What business skills have helped your career growth? I'd love to hear what patterns you've noticed—drop a comment below.
If you want to read my full interview with Nadia Makarevich (and Kent C. Dodds), where we dive deeper into what actually makes developers senior, check out my book From Hello World to Team Lead. Both conversations are packed with insights that nobody talks about in tutorials.
P.S. I donate 10% of all book proceeds to tech education charities (TechMeUp, SheSharp, GirlCode, HackYourFuture). Your growth helps others grow too.
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