The LLM Impact Curve for Software Engineers

2025-02-09
The LLM Impact Curve for Software Engineers

This article explores the impact of Large Language Models (LLMs) on software engineers of different experience levels. The author argues that the usefulness of LLMs follows a curve: junior engineers benefit the most, using LLMs to quickly learn and solve problems; mid-level engineers see more limited gains, as LLMs struggle with complex issues; senior engineers see the least improvement, relying more on their experience; while staff+ engineers can leverage LLMs to rapidly create proof-of-concept projects. In short, the impact of LLMs depends on the engineer's experience level and the tasks they work on, making them far from a silver bullet.

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Development

Six Deadly Sins of Platform Teams: Avoiding DevOps Pitfalls

2025-01-08
Six Deadly Sins of Platform Teams: Avoiding DevOps Pitfalls

This article explores six common pitfalls that platform teams encounter when implementing DevOps. These seemingly subtle issues can severely limit a platform team's effectiveness. Drawing on personal experience, the author delves into the root causes and provides solutions for problems related to team naming, lack of empathy, short-term versus long-term focus imbalance, confusing ease of use with simplicity, treating product engineers as customers, and over-expanding their domain. The article stresses that platform teams should focus on solving problems rather than specific solutions, build strong communication and collaboration with product teams, balance short-term and long-term goals, strive for simplicity over mere ease of use, and always prioritize end-user value.

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Development Platform Teams