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IMO truly great developers are not just developers. They are also software architects, UX and UI designers, network engineers, etc. "A" developers knock down learning curves and assimilate everything about software creation innately.

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This is absolutely the right answer. I would add that the BEST developers are those that have some business or project management background.

That way they can put what they are doing in the greater context of the organisation. As well as add a lot more weighting to maintainability and future flexibility over the "latest cool thing".

At this point you're getting a little overgeneral, I think. One of Steve Jobs' A players was undoubtedly Bill Atkinson, but what he lacked in business knowledge, he more than made up for in technical skills. If you're an A player working in one of Intel or Microsoft's compilers teams, you win based on deep technical knowledge, not understanding the "greater context of the organisation".

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