CareerEngineeringLeadershipGrowth

From Apprentice to Staff Engineer: A 12-Year Journey

Reflecting on my career journey from a young apprentice in India to a Staff Engineer at Sonatype, and the lessons learned along the way.

Sraavan Chevireddy

Sraavan Chevireddy

Author

February 20, 20243 min read

From Apprentice to Staff Engineer: A 12-Year Journey

Twelve years ago, I started my career as an apprentice software developer in Hyderabad, India. Today, I'm a Staff Engineer at Sonatype, working on products that serve millions of developers worldwide. Here's my story.

The Beginning: 2012

Fresh out of college, I joined Cyient as a Junior Engineer. The imposter syndrome was real. I remember my first code review where a senior engineer spent two hours explaining why my "working" code was actually problematic.

"Working code and good code are not the same thing."

That lesson stuck with me.

The Growth Phase: 2015-2018

Moving to iOS Development

I transitioned to iOS development at Cyient, which opened new doors. Mobile development taught me:

  • User-centric thinking: Every millisecond matters on mobile
  • Constraint-based design: Working within platform limitations
  • Deep platform knowledge: Understanding the ecosystem

Starting Swift-Hyderabad

In 2016, I founded the Swift-Hyderabad community. Leading a community of 50+ developers taught me that:

  1. Teaching is the best way to learn
  2. Community building requires consistency
  3. Diverse perspectives lead to better solutions

The Leap: Moving to the US

In 2018, I made the difficult decision to move to the United States. The transition was challenging:

  • Cultural adaptation
  • Starting network from scratch
  • Proving myself all over again

But it also accelerated my growth exponentially.

At Sonatype: 2021-Present

Joining Sonatype was a pivotal moment. Here's what I've learned leading critical initiatives:

Technical Leadership

Staff Engineer ≠ Senior Developer
Staff Engineer = Technical Vision + Execution + Influence

My responsibilities include:

  • Architecture decisions for Nexus Repository
  • Mentoring junior and mid-level engineers
  • Cross-team collaboration on company-wide initiatives
  • Technical strategy alignment with business goals

Key Projects

  1. Nexus Repository 3.x: Modernizing the architecture
  2. Performance optimization: 40% improvement in response times
  3. Developer experience: Streamlining internal tooling

Lessons Learned

1. Embrace the Unknown

Every career advancement put me in uncomfortable positions. That discomfort was growth.

2. Invest in People

The code I've written will be replaced. The people I've mentored will continue growing and impacting others.

3. Stay Technical

Even as a Staff Engineer, I code daily. Staying hands-on keeps me relevant and effective.

4. Build Your Brand

Writing, speaking, and community involvement opened doors that technical skills alone couldn't.

What's Next?

I'm focused on:

  • Expanding my impact at Sonatype
  • Contributing more to open source
  • Helping others navigate their career journeys

If you're early in your career, remember: every expert was once a beginner. Keep learning, stay humble, and embrace the journey.