Get to Mastery First

Camille Fournier has strong advice for engineers thinking about moving into management: don't do it until coding is in your bones. Not just competent - truly mastered. Like a second language you could pick up again anytime, even rusty.

Her rule of thumb? About ten years of serious practice before making the leap.

Why so long? Because once you move on, you'll never go back to that level of depth. And if you haven't truly mastered it, you'll always feel like you're faking it. You won't have the confidence that comes from deep competence.

The parallel to parenting phases is striking.

We're so eager to advance our kids. Walking! Talking! Reading! Potty trained! Each milestone feels like progress.

But what if they need more time in each phase than we think? What if rushing to the next stage means they never fully own the current one?

Fournier says: 'If you're still having fun, don't rush. Writing code is awesome. Have fun, enjoy it.'

The same applies to childhood. If your toddler is still having fun being a toddler, don't rush them into being a big kid. If your four-year-old loves playing pretend, don't push them toward structured activities.

Mastery takes time. Every phase has depth worth exploring. Let them stay until it's in their bones.