Becoming an expert developer isn’t just about racking up years of experience or mastering the most fashionable frameworks. According to Dr Milan Milanović, expertise is built by going through four fundamental stages, a universal process that extends well beyond development.
And if you sometimes feel the impostor syndrome, good news: it means you’re on the right track!
The 4 stages to becoming an expert
- From blissful ignorance to clarity: the initiatory journey of unconscious incompetence
Every learning journey begins with a phase of carefree ignorance, a comfortable unawareness where you don’t even perceive the extent of your own shortcomings. Like a novice explorer facing an incomplete map, the beginner moves through a world of tasks and concepts without fully realising what they are missing. This stage, while potentially frustrating, is a necessary step, a humble starting point that acknowledges the vastness of the knowledge to be acquired. The primary objective here is to accept this reality, to embrace the idea that the path to mastery is still long and rich in discoveries.
- The realisation: when incompetence becomes a conscious motivation
The veil lifts, and the reality of missing skills appears with clarity. This is the moment when you become aware of your weaknesses, when you precisely identify the areas where acquiring new knowledge is imperative. This phase, sometimes tinged with doubt about the amount of work to be done, is actually a powerful driver of progress. Recognising these gaps is a crucial step towards improvement. From then on, curiosity is awakened, and the search for resources becomes a priority: enlightening tutorials, reference books, inspiring mentors – all tools to fill the gaps in knowledge.
- The art of voluntary mastery: conscious competence, the result of effort and practice
Theoretical knowledge begins to translate into action, but every gesture, every line of code still requires intense concentration and sustained effort. This is the stage of conscious competence, where you know how to do it, but the execution is not yet automatic. Each task, each project becomes a learning arena, an opportunity to put the acquired knowledge into practice and consolidate the foundations. The central objective here is to persevere, to practise actively, tirelessly, until the skill becomes second nature, a well-established reflex.
- The zenith of expertise: when competence becomes unconscious instinct
At the top of this learning pyramid lies unconscious competence, the realm of expertise where gestures are fluid, precise and performed without apparent effort. Skills have become second nature, an instinct that guides the action. Writing clean and optimised code, solving complex problems – all this is done with disconcerting ease. Yet, even at this stage, it is not uncommon for doubt to creep in. The famous impostor syndrome, this persistent feeling of not being good enough, sometimes re-emerges, paradoxically as a sign that you are continuing to push yourself and exceed the limits of your own expertise.
To delve deeper into these concepts, see Dr Milan Milanović’s article: 👉 Read the full article here
Becoming an expert in development or any field is therefore not done in a day. It is an evolutionary journey, marked by realisations and learning. By going through the four key stages, from unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence, you gradually convert your shortcomings into assets, and your efforts into true mastery.
And you, where are you today? 🚀
