This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Ahmet Özışık
After a decade of running a development agency and working with countless talented developers, I've noticed a pattern: technical excellence alone doesn't guarantee career growth. Often, it's not your coding skills holding you back – it's how you communicate with non-technical stakeholders.
The Hidden Career Ceiling
Here's what's interesting: when developers plateau, they often double down on technical skills. More certifications. More frameworks. More complex solutions. But here's what took me years to realize - beyond a certain point, technical excellence isn't the limiting factor.
I first noticed this pattern when reviewing client feedback across dozens of projects. The developers receiving the most praise weren't necessarily our strongest technical talents. Instead, they were the ones who could make complex architectural decisions sound obvious, who could turn a thorny technical challenge into a clear three-step plan, who could make stakeholders feel genuinely involved in technical decisions.
The real career ceiling isn't about what you know - it's about how effectively you can translate that knowledge for others.
And the tricky part? Most developers don't realize they've hit this ceiling until they've spent months (or years) wondering why their career growth has stalled, usually while learning their fifteenth JavaScript framework.
Common Communication Pitfalls
Let's look at real examples of how as developers we often tend to communicate.
Now, some of these examples are perfectly fine, if you are talking with other developers, or a technical PM who understands what's going on. In this article, I'm assuming that you have reached that level where you get to directly talk to other stakeholders in your company or to clients.
1. The Technical Overload
❌ Poor Communication:
"This week I implemented JWT refresh logic, optimized our MongoDB queries with proper indexing, and refactored the authentication middleware to handle edge cases."
Why it fails:
- Forces the client to translate technical concepts
- Hides the actual business value
- Creates unnecessary anxiety about complexity
✅ Better Approach:
"We've made the system more reliable for your users in three ways:
- They'll stay logged in longer without interruption
- The dashboard now loads 40% faster
- We've eliminated the error some users encountered during login"
2. The Minimizer
❌ Poor Communication:
"Just fixed some bugs and did some refactoring."
Why it fails:
- Undermines the value of your work
- Makes it seem like you're not accomplishing much
- Fails to demonstrate the impact of technical debt management
✅ Better Approach:
"We invested time in system reliability this week. We fixed three customer-reported issues and improved the code structure, which will help us deliver new features 30% faster going forward."
3. The Problem Amplifier
❌ Poor Communication:
"The entire authentication system needs to be rewritten because the current implementation is a mess and could break at any time."
Why it fails:
- Creates unnecessary panic
- Damages trust in the system
- Offers no clear path forward
✅ Better Approach:
"I've identified some opportunities to make our login system more reliable. I'd like to propose a three-phase improvement plan that will eliminate current pain points while ensuring uninterrupted service for users. Would you like me to outline the approach?"
The Career Impact of Better Communication
Developers who master stakeholder communication:
- Get promoted faster
- Are trusted with client-facing roles
- Receive higher compensation
- Get picked for leadership positions
- Have more influence over project decisions
Practical Framework for Better Communication
1. Start with Impact
Before sharing any update, ask yourself:
- What problem does this solve for the business?
- How does this benefit the end users?
- What risks does this mitigate?
2. Use the "So What?" Test
For every technical point you want to make, ask "So what?" until you reach the business value:
Technical: "Implemented database indexing"
So what? → "Queries run faster"
So what? → "Pages load quicker"
So what? → "Users have a smoother experience and can work more efficiently"
3. Structure Your Communications
Whether it's a client email or a stakeholder meeting, follow this format:
- Lead with the win
- Provide context that matters to them
- Clear next steps
Example:
"The checkout process is now 50% faster (the win), which means fewer customers abandoning their carts (business context). We'll monitor the impact on sales over the next week and adjust if needed (next steps)."
When Communication Changes The Game
Let me share a story that changed how I think about technical communication. We had this massive refactoring project hanging over our heads - the kind where the codebase is held together by duct tape and prayers. For months, we tried to get buy-in for cleanup, using phrases like "technical debt," "code quality," and "maintainability issues." The response was always the same: "Is it really necessary right now?"
Then one of our developers tried a different approach. Instead of talking about code quality, he showed a graph of how much time the team spent firefighting production issues versus building new features. He walked through specific examples of how a "quick fix" took three times longer than it should because of the codebase's state. Then he presented the refactor as a "speed optimization project" with clear milestones and business benefits.
The result? Not only did we get approval, but the stakeholders actually started asking us when we could start. Same technical work, completely different framing.
Your Turn to Level Up
Think about your last status update or client meeting:
- Did you lead with technical details or business impact?
- Could a non-technical person understand your main points?
- Did you clearly connect your work to business value?
Moving Forward
Your technical skills got you where you are, but your communication skills will determine where you can go.
I'd love to hear your experiences:
- What's your biggest challenge when communicating with non-technical stakeholders?
- Have you seen your career growth limited by communication gaps?
- What communication techniques have worked well for you?
Share your thoughts in the comments – let's learn from each other's experiences!
I'm Ahmet, founder of Tallinn based web development agency called Swiftmade. We're currently building a tool to streamline communication between software dev. teams and clients using Github. If you're interested in this topic, check out what we're working on.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Ahmet Özışık
Ahmet Özışık | Sciencx (2025-02-04T22:06:28+00:00) Feeling stuck? Maybe it’s not your coding skills…. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/02/04/feeling-stuck-maybe-its-not-your-coding-skills/
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