Chapter 1 · Practice 2 of 4
Learn that levels differ mainly in scope, ambiguity and reach
Why it matters
Ladders rarely say "write more code" at higher levels. They describe a wider area of ownership, more ambiguous problems and influence that reaches further. The Dropbox framework shows the pattern clearly in its one-line summaries:
| Level | Dropbox summary (abridged) |
|---|---|
| IC1 | Delivers high quality production-ready code with direction from the team |
| IC2 | Delivers projects from design to implementation and rollout |
| IC3 | Independently identifies and delivers solutions across a product focus or multi-component system |
| IC4 | Autonomously delivers ongoing business impact across a team, product capability or technical system |
| IC5 (Staff) | Sets multi-year, multi-team technical strategy |
Scope also moves from tasks to projects to goals: an IC1 executes defined tasks, an IC3 owns projects in service of quarterly goals, and an IC4 owns semi-annual or annual goals for the team.
Use this to diagnose yourself. If you are given well-defined tasks and finish them well, you are doing your current job. Growth starts when you take a vague problem, define it, and deliver it.
Do
- Ask for problems, not only tasks
- Notice who defines the work you do, and start defining some of it
Avoid
- Assuming more hours on the same kind of work leads to the next level