There are at least four different stages of technical expertise.
The first objective is to be able to play a useful role on a project, with technical assistance from others. Sometimes referred to as "grunt programming" or "blue-collar programming," there is a need for solid citizens who can take work direction and do most simple tasks on their own.
The next step corresponds to the "senior developer" role, and the main difference from level 1 is the ability to work without detailed technical direction on all but the most difficult problems. People at this level have usually worked on at least three significant C++ projects and have made a fair number of mistakes. Most developers attain this level of competence eventually.
At the next level, the developer is thought of as the "resident guru" or technical expert in one or more aspects of C++ development. These are the people who come up with the bright ideas and technical leadership for their organization, and are usually spread across several projects. Their salaries can be quite high, and they usually have no interest in management career paths. The good ones have a large amount of scar tissue and arrow wounds in their back. Very few programmers have the intelligence and dedication necessary to reach this level of expertise.
At the final level, the person is the "industry thought leader," and very few organizations can afford one of these exotic specialists. These are the true experts who are well known in their peer group. It is unrealistic for most developers to aim for this level of expertise, and those who achieve it spend almost every waking hour maintaining their craft. People of this caliber are usually brought in as consultants rather than hired as full-time employees.
