Roadmap: Day X Until Senior
A running log toward becoming a Senior Software Engineer, tracked as a competency matrix rather than a single checklist — growth into a senior role is multi-dimensional (depth, breadth, and impact all matter), and a matrix makes it easy to see which dimension needs attention next.
On tooling
This starts as a plain markdown table — no dedicated competency-matrix plugin needed yet. If the table outgrows this format (e.g. wanting per-skill history or filtering), it's worth revisiting a dedicated MkDocs plugin then, not before.
Competency Matrix
Levels: 🌱 Starting · 🌿 Developing · 🌳 Proficient · 🏆 Senior-level
| Area | Current | Target | Notes / Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical Depth (core languages, algorithms, data structures) | 🌿 | 🌳 | |
| System Design & Architecture | 🌱 | 🌳 | |
| Machine Learning & AI Specialization | 🌿 | 🏆 | Primary specialization — push furthest here. |
| Code Quality & Testing | 🌿 | 🌳 | |
| DevOps / CI-CD / Operability | 🌱 | 🌳 | |
| Mentorship & Communication | 🌱 | 🌳 | |
| Ownership & Autonomy (driving projects end-to-end) | 🌿 | 🌳 | |
| Business/Product Acumen | 🌱 | 🌿 |
(Fill in "Notes / Resources" as you work each area — a course, a book, a project that moved the needle. Update "Current" as it changes.)
Day X Log
A short-form journal of progress, one entry per update. Doesn't need to be frequent — just often enough to see the trend.
Day 1 — 2026-08-15
Roadmap page created. Baseline levels above are a starting estimate — first real task is to revisit each row honestly and adjust.
How to Update This Page
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Edit the matrix row(s) that changed — bump the "Current" level and add a note on what drove the change.
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Add a new "Day X Log" entry summarizing the update (increment X from the last entry).
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No need to touch anything outside this file — see Contributing for the knowledge base's general conventions.