Spotify's reaches
Reaches exist to help with uniformity (the only area we believe should have some uniformity). Associates, Mids, Seniors, Principals, Managers, Directors, VPs, etc. These are all prefixes to titles throughout an organization. We've found that it brings a tremendous amount of clarity if they have a common meaning.
This common meaning, we believe should be the expected impact. In other words, regardless if you are an associate or a senior engineer... you both are engineers. However, the associate/junior is expected to impact the work that they are given. However, a senior is expected to impact the team, their discipline, and maybe the entire department.
This construct was borrowed from Spotify's Steps Career Framework.
1.0
Individual Step.
At this step, you are focused primarily on being a useful contributor, gaining experience and learning how to be effective on their team. It is not expected that a member of technology would remain at this step during their entire time at Spotify. At this step, your focus should be on growing so that you can support your team. This is the only step where there is an expectation that all members of technology should move toward the next step.
2.0
Squad/Chapter Step
At this step, you are a resource for your chapter or your squad, either as a domain specialist for your team, or as a generalist/problem solver for them. You should be able to lead smaller efforts coordinating with other members of your team and drive them to completion and/or dig into tough problems and solve them independently taking in feedback from your peers and focusing on the outcome.
3.0
Tribe/Guild Step
At this step, you have an impact across squads or chapters. You are a resource for a larger group as a domain expert or generalist. You will lead cross-team (squad/tribe/chapter) efforts involving more people and drive them to completion and/or you will take on large challenges, working with diverse stakeholders in multiple teams to solve a problem that affects your larger organization.
4.0
Technology/Company Step
At this step, your focus is significantly on supporting Tech-wide or company-wide initiatives. You will Road Manage projects that span tribes and be responsible for solving Tech-wide problems, and/or you will also represent Tech in company and/or industry forums, and/or you will be a go-to person across the company to solve very complex problems
