Open Tech Leveling: An Engineer’s Guide to Leveling Engineers

Leveling up as an engineer is way too important to leave to your manager, especially when they might have their own agenda. Everyone gives you different directions and it’s easy to end up going in circles. Personally, I’ve never gotten somewhere new without a map and career growth works the same way.

The current state of engineering leveling is a mess. Every company has its own (leveling) system, shaped by a combination of culture, product, and politics. The result? Wildly inconsistent titles, pay gaps that make no sense (ex: check out Levels.fyi), and muddy job requirements.

Even internal leveling frameworks are often vague by design. Sometimes because no one knows what “great” looks like… and sometimes to keep promotion decisions conveniently flexible.

Engineers deserve better. They need a clear, neutral framework to navigate their growth that doesn’t hinge on a manager’s opinion, a company’s internal politics, or an arbitrary number of years of experience.

That’s why I built a practical leveling matrix that aims to break down every area of engineering into actionable steps. Regardless of where you are at in each area of focus, you can see how far you have come and what it looks like to get to the next level in a specific area of focus. This is a system that has…