The most sought-after engineers are the ones with the largest context windows.
They understand the code, product, customers, business, and history, and more importantly, how it all fits together. That context allows them to make better decisions.
These people tend to be endlessly curious. They want to understand how everything works, and when they’re passionate about something, they go deep. Their craft, a hobby, a side project, a random rabbit hole. They don’t just dabble, they keep learning until they really understand it.