Becoming a driver

During our journey as a developer, we commonly go through different stages, so there is nothing better than looking back to understand how to support others on this journey.

The VTEX career model is based on four development stages: implementer, solver, finder, and driver. Reaching the solver stage is expected for all ICs, so becoming a finder or a driver is not required, but we encourage you to keep developing yourself.

In the development journey, it's important to note that transitioning between stages doesn't mean losing your existing skills. Someone who consistently works as a Finder can also take on the role of an Implementer or Solver. A person in one stage is expected to be proficient in at least the previous stage. For example, a Solver is expected to excel as an Implementer, and a Driver is not only a great Finder, but is likely a proficient Solver as well.

Implementer

As an implementer, we're getting in touch with languages and frameworks, diving deep into design patterns, and getting our hands dirty almost all the time. In general, we are more focused on learning and applying the technologies than profoundly understanding the business or motivations for implementing the functionality.

Solver

As a solver, we are comfortable with the basic toolings and languages, so we start focusing on how to solve problems. Designing ways to solve problems has become a regular task now, as well as helping implementers to have a better knowledge of tooling and languages. At that moment, we're looking to understand more of the system's boundaries and its integrations; and thus beginning to suggest improvements in the life cycle of their applications.

Finder

As a finder, we'll start our journey to find relevant problems to be solved. Finding problems is not hard in companies like ours, but determining whether their solution will have a long-term impact can be challenging. The answer typically will be in multiple systems or modules. At this point, it's essential to expand our horizons and embrace experimentation, looking for new opportunities. An important skill for this moment is influence and effective communication because finding a very relevant problem and not being able to bring visibility to it is pointless.

Driver

Finally, as a driver, we'll drive the path of evolution and innovation, whether from a business or technology point of view. Sometimes, we'll have to challenge even the current status quo with proposals dealing with high risk and ambiguity.

Journey

During this journey, it is essential to have consistency in your actions and skills. During your development, you will notice that new types of hands-on tasks will arise in each phase. Therefore, regardless of the stage of your journey, you are expected to always have hands-on tasks, from coding to designing solutions or proposing a vision. You will always have something on which you must execute part or all of the work.

Engaging in multiple activities/projects in your everyday routine is common and often a part of the job. However, you need to be intentional and connect different activities to something that makes sense to have cohesion with your team's goals, area, and career.

When you face situations where you have demands that do not connect, review your decisions and align with your leaders to have an action plan to reorganize your work. Saying no or stopping doing something unrelated to your objectives is not a sign of lack of commitment but rather a sign of pragmatism, of completing essential things on time. You must develop self-management skills to avoid being a bottleneck or overloading with multiple activities/projects.

This dynamism will make your day less linear at each journey step. Naturally, you may feel less productive. This lack of linearity is due to increased scope during this growth. While you are in the implementer or solver stages, you're expected to be very focused on a single team's routine. However, when entering the finder phase, it will be rare to keep that routine, and your scope of action tends to be in one or more business verticals. As a driver, you can work looking at the entire platform and/or company.

The journey is not about reaching a specific target; it is to live it and have a new point of view of what is around you.