When a junior developer asks a senior about salary, people tense up. Some managers panic. But I see it as a bright red signal—not of trouble, but of hunger.
Here’s the thing: when someone asks, “How much are you paid?” what they really want to know is, “How do I grow? What matters here? Where does my effort take me?” That’s not gossip. That’s ambition talking out loud.
If you shrug off the question, you waste a perfect moment. Someone in your team feels lost about how value is rewarded. They’re not sure what seniority means. They wonder if they’re just a ticket-closer, or if they can actually steer the ship.
I want my team to know how we decide value, how we reward it, and what it takes to move up. Real seniority is about impact, unblocking others, mentoring 10x-engineer —not just how many lines of code you ship.
So, the next time salary talk pops up, don’t kill the conversation. Lead it. Make your compensation philosophy explicit. Show the path from junior to senior. Build a ladder everyone can see and climb.
If you want a culture where people take ownership, you need transparency—ugly, honest, sometimes awkward. That’s how you build trust, grow future leaders, and raise the bar for everyone.