Seniority is a quiet death of the ego that thinks a perfect pull request solves the business problem.
In this conversation, Erfan Hesami and I dismantle the myth that technical depth is the only path to the top. You spend years mastering Python and SQL only to reach a level where pipelines fail because requirements were wrong or stakeholders changed their minds.
This is the ceiling where most data careers stall. Erfan, drawing from his experience in fintech and manufacturing, confirms that the jump to senior is not about a tenth tool. It is about shifting focus from the immediate task to the broader system.
You must stop being a ticket-taker and start being an operator who designs for long-term reliability. Erfan highlights that the senior mindset requires moving beyond the IDE to master the non-code half of the job.
This involves making hard calls on “good enough“ solutions and building trust through translation. We discuss how to bridge the gap between technical skill and leadership so your career does not stall.
This session covers the specific mindset shifts and operational boundaries Erfan uses to cross the senior threshold.
The Senior Operator Writes Less Code
Erfan notes that mid-level engineers often measure value by the complexity of the systems they build. You want the newest framework because it feels like progress. Senior engineers realize every line of code is a liability. You provide more value by preventing a project than by building it poorly.
When you operate at senior level, your primary job is making technical decisions aligned with business problems. You prioritize projects based on impact rather than technical interest.
If a simple SQL view solves the problem, you do not build a custom microservice. The consequence of over-engineering is a maintenance debt that eventually prevents you from shipping anything new.
Reframe your role from a builder to a decision-maker. You are there to ensure data flows reliably, not just to move bytes.
Erfan suggests that a good week is not one where you closed the most tickets, but where you simplified an architecture or spent time upskilling to prevent future technical debt.
Ownership Is Moving Without Permission
Waiting for a manager to tell you what to do is a junior behavior. Erfan observes that many competent engineers stay mid-level because they wait for a formal promotion before acting like a leader. They expect the title to grant them the right to speak up. In reality, the title follows the behavior.
You must take ownership of the end-to-end lifecycle before anyone asks. Erfan emphasizes raising your hand when you see a flaw in database design or a better way to handle upstream sources. If you wait for permission, you are a resource.
If you propose solutions and arrange meetings with stakeholders, you are a leader.
The tradeoff is that ownership comes with accountability. When a project fails, you cannot blame the requirements. Erfan argues that unclear requirements are an engineering problem. You bridge this gap by networking across departments like CRM or accounting to understand pain points before you ever open your IDE.
Zoom Out to See the System
Juniors focus on the feature in front of them to move a ticket from left to right. This narrow focus leads to local optimizations that break the global system. Erfan warns against building a fast pipeline that produces garbage data because you did not check the upstream quality.
As a senior, you must zoom out to see the broader system. Erfan explains that you must ask why a feature was requested and how it affects downstream consumers. You focus on the foundation that makes the platform scalable and easier for others to use over time. This shift in perspective allows you to catch errors in assumptions before they become code.
This systemic thinking is your true differentiator. Erfan points out that AI can write boilerplate code, but it cannot navigate the politics of conflicting requirements.
Your value lies in your ability to communicate and think through these nuances.
The Resources
Here are the links to all the resources we mentioned:
Pipeline To Insights: Erfan’s Substack newsletter where he shares his learning experiences and data engineering insights.
Erfan’s on LinkedIn: Here you can connect with Erfan and read his new
The GitHub Portfolio Article: A specific article mentioned that was written for Pipeline 2 Insights regarding how to build a GitHub portfolio.
Article on Certifications: A “very nice” article written by Jordan discussing the role and value of certifications in a data career.
Final Thoughts
The shift Erfan describes is a move from the certain world of syntax to the ambiguous world of people and systems. You must be willing to ask the questions that feel stupid but reveal deep flaws in a plan. You must be comfortable sharing opinions even when they are not explicitly requested.
True seniority is not a reward for time served. It is a status earned by those who take responsibility for outcomes, not just outputs. Erfan’s approach shows that you stop being a person who writes code and start being a person who solves business problems using data.
The code is just a tool, and often it is the most expensive one you have.
Focus on building trust through consistency and ownership. Become the expert who can navigate different areas and adapt to new challenges. When you master the non-code half of the job, your career will stop stalling.
Until next time,
Yordan
