Most engineering teams think they are improving.

They adopt tools.
They automate pipelines.
They attend conferences.

But skill growth quietly plateaus.

Not because of motivation.
Not because of budget.

But because there is no structured skill maturity path.

_{source image: https://deoshankar.medium.com/100-days-of-project-based-devops-learning-plan-a445fc9f2f9}

The Skill Maturity Problem

Across DevOps, Cloud, Testing, and Performance Engineering,
most professionals operate in one of four hidden stages:

• Tool-Focused
• Implementation-Focused
• System-Focused
• Strategy-Focused

Without recognizing where you are,
it’s impossible to intentionally move forward.

Introduce the TestingSaaS Skill Maturity Framework

That’s why TestingSaaS created the TestingSaaS Skill Maturity Framework, which has 4 distinct stages an engineer has to go through to become a Strategic Technologist.

The 4 Stages of Skill Maturity

1️⃣ Tool Awareness -> The Tool User

You know the tools.
You can follow tutorials.
You execute instructions.

2️⃣ Implementation -> The Operator & Analyst

You can apply tools in real projects.
You troubleshoot issues.
You work independently.

3️⃣ System Thinking -> The Architect

You design solutions.
You understand trade-offs.
You influence architecture decisions.

4️⃣ Strategic Impact -> The Strategic Technologist

You optimize organizations.
You mentor others.
You shape long-term engineering direction.

The Hidden Constraint

The biggest bottleneck is not effort.

It’s access to structured, high-quality, practical education
that supports progression from Stage 2 to Stage 3.

Resources That Actually Support Stage 3 Growth

Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of DevOps and performance content.

A lot of it is surface-level.
A lot of it is tool marketing.

If you’re serious about deepening your expertise in:

• Performance Engineering
• Green IT
• Observability

There are a few structured programs I personally consider strong.

You can explore them here:
👉 TestingSaaS Learning Resource Hub

This Resource Hub is not exhaustive, and will be expanded continuously during my learning journey.
At the moment it is focused on Observability and Green IT, which are my own development goals in 2026.

Skill growth is not about consuming more content.

It’s about moving intentionally from execution to systems thinking.

If you’re unsure where you currently stand,
start by identifying your stage.

That alone changes how you learn.