Must

Pays attention to coding details, such as error handling, memory, performance, style

Must

Mentally capable of handling complexity; can comprehend multiple interacting software components

Must

Continuously improving: improves themselves, their product, or their surroundings

Must

Honest: provide credible information and feedback that others can act on

Must

Open-minded: lets new information change their thinking

Must

Executes: knows when to stop thinking and to start doing

Must

Self-reliant: gets things done independently and does not get blocked easily

Must

Self-reflecting: recognizes when things are going wrong with a plan and pivots

Must

Persevering: not dissuaded by setbacks and failures

Must

Fits together with other pieces around it: code accounts for surrounding constraints and products.

Must

Knowledgeable about their technical domain, including product, platform, and competitors

Must

Makes informed trade-offs: code is responsive to time to market goals, critical needs of the business

Must

Updates their decision making knowledge: does not let their understanding stagnate

Must

Curious: desires to know why things happen and how things work

Must

Evolving: code is structured to be effectively built, delivered, and updated incrementally.

Should

Knowledgeable about tools and building materials: knows strengths and weaknesses of code

Should

Grows their ability to make good decisions: builds understanding of possible outcomes of decisions

Should

Sees the forest and the trees: reasons through situations at multiple levels of abstraction

Should

Craftsmanship: wants their output to be a reflection of their skills and abilities

Should

Does due diligence beforehand: examines available information before deciding

Should

Elegant: designs solutions that others can understand and appreciate

Should

Asks for help: knows the limits of their knowledge and supplements it with knowledge of others

Should

Desires to turn ideas into reality: takes pleasure in building software

Should

Long-termed: considers costs and benefits over time, not just short-term goals

Should

Willing to go into the unknown: can step outside of comfort zone to explore a new area

Should

Is a good listener: effectively obtains, comprehends, and understands others’ knowledge

Should

Passionate: intrinsically interested in the area they are working in

Should

Manages expectations: clearly communicates what they are going to do and by when

Should

Focused: prioritizes time for the most impactful work

Should

Systematic: address problems in an organized, principled manner

Should

Adapts to new settings: continues to be valuable to the organization as environment changes

Should

Integrates understandings of others: can build a more complete understanding with others

Should

Does not make it personal: avoids deciding based on individual goals and feelings

Should

Creative: generates novel and innovative solutions based on the context and its limitations

Should

Walks-the-walk: acts as an exemplar for others to follow

Should

Knowledgeable about software engineering processes: knows the bests practices and techniques

Should

Anticipates needs: proactively determines potential problems and needs

Should

Uses the right processes during construction: uses best practices and techniques to construct software

Should

Resists external pressure for the good of the software product: stands firm against outside pressures

Should

Has a good reputation: has the belief, respect, trust, and confidence of others

Should

Productive: achieves the same results as others faster

Helps

Knowledgeable about customers and business: understands their product’s value proposition

Helps

Creates shared understanding with others: shapes others’ knowledge via effective communication

Helps

Creates shared success for everyone: establishes long-term goals that everyone can buy into

Helps

Aligned with organizational goals: takes actions for the good of the product and the organization

Helps

Well-mannered: treats others with respect

Helps

Data-driven: lets data drive actions, not solely intuition

Helps

Creates a safe haven for others: frees others to make decisions based on what is right, not fear

Helps

Mentoring: teaches, guides, and supports other developers

Helps

Knowledgeable about people and the organization: aware of others’ responsibilities and knowledge

Helps

Challenges others to improve: encourages expanding capabilities and goals

Helps

Personable: establishes trusting, positive social relationships

Helps

Hardworking: is willing to work more than 8 hour days to deliver

Helps

Trades favors: builds personal equity with others allowing them to call upon others later