Junior vs Senior 90 Day Plan

Both follow the same three phases. The difference is what counts as "shipped" at day 90.

Junior IC: one merged feature, a closed bug list, or one polished surface. The point is to demonstrate that you can take a problem from spec to production with normal supervision.

Mid-level IC: one shipped feature plus one design choice that influenced how the team thinks about the problem space. The team should be able to point at one thing they now do differently because of you.

Senior IC: one shipped feature plus one architectural decision plus a junior teammate who has visibly grown because of your work together. Influence becomes part of the deliverable.

Staff/Principal: the deliverable shifts to direction. By day 90, you have either redirected one important effort or articulated a strategy that is now being acted on. Hands-on shipping is a means, not an end.

Across all levels, the failure mode is the same: skipping the writing. The 30-day note, 60-day calibration, and 90-day review are not optional at any level. The senior who skips them is the one whose manager calls them "all over the place" in month six.