Code Quality
Writing clean, maintainable code that is easy to understand and modify.
At Level 1, you're writing code that works—and that’s a great start. Your focus is on making things function, often leaning on examples or patterns you’ve seen before. You may not yet know what "good" code looks like, but you’re starting to build that awareness. At this level, it’s normal to prioritize getting something working over making it clean. The key is developing habits that help you improve consistency, readability, and structure with each pull request.
At Level 2, you write code that’s not just functional, but clean. You begin to think about how others will read, use, and extend your work. Code reviews become conversations about clarity, not just correctness. You start to balance pragmatism and polish—knowing when to ship and when to refactor.
At Level 3, you raise the bar for code quality—not only in your own work, but across your team. You think in systems, not just scripts. Your code is intentional, idiomatic, and clearly communicates what it’s doing and why. You mentor others by example and bring a quality mindset into every stage of development—from design to deployment.
At Level 4, you’re shaping the way teams think about quality across systems. You don’t just follow standards—you help define and evolve them. You proactively identify systemic patterns that reduce code health and take strategic action. You help large groups of engineers write better code, not through reviews alone, but through tools, shared practices, and technical vision.
At Level 5, code quality isn’t just something you practice—it’s something you scale. You lead strategic efforts that redefine what good engineering looks like across the organization.