Mentoring & Leveling
Solana's learning curve mixes Rust, accounts-first design, and ops (RPC, wallets, deploys). Structured mentoring turns enthusiastic juniors into mids who ship safe Anchor programs without every PR requiring senior rewrite.
Recipe
Quick-reference recipe card - copy-paste ready.
Week 1-2: Mental model + CLI + devnet transfers
Week 3-4: Anchor tutorial + paired first instruction
Week 5-6: Solo PR with LiteSVM tests + review
Week 7+: Own small feature end-to-end (program + client ix)
When to reach for this:
- Hiring first junior Solana engineer
- Defining mid vs senior expectations
- Planning team capacity for launch
- Performance review calibration
- Bootcamp grad onboarding
Working Example
## Mid-Level Solana Engineer Rubric (excerpt)
### Program (Anchor 0.32.1)
- [ ] Writes instructions with correct constraints unassisted
- [ ] Adds LiteSVM test for one attacker path per feature
- [ ] Explains PDA derivation to junior
### Client (@solana/kit 7.0.0)
- [ ] Builds, simulates, sends tx with blockhash refresh
- [ ] Debugs Custom program error from logs
### Ops
- [ ] Deploys to devnet; documents program ID in PR
- [ ] Participates in incident drill (pause on devnet)Pairing session structure (90 min):
- Junior drives; senior navigates on account diagram
- Write one
#[account]constraint together - Break; junior writes test alone; senior reviews
What this demonstrates:
- Time-boxed ramp with concrete milestones
- Rubric tied to stack versions in manifest
- Pairing with junior driving builds muscle memory
Deep Dive
Junior -> Mid Signals
- Submits PR with security checklist self-filled
- Catches missing signer in peer review
- Owns devnet deploy for small feature without hand-holding
Senior -> Staff Signals
- Authors ADRs and runs design reviews
- Leads incident response or audit remediation
- Improves team CI/LiteSVM fixtures for everyone
Gotchas
- Tutorial hell - Months of courses, no mainnet-adjacent code. Fix: Ship devnet feature by week 6.
- Only program mentoring - Junior cannot debug wallet tx. Fix: Client ix building in same ramp.
- Vague promotion criteria - Perceived favoritism. Fix: Published rubric in engineering handbook.
- Senior as bottleneck - Every PR waits one person. Fix: Train multiple reviewers from mids.
- Ignoring soft skills - Brilliant Rust, cannot explain trade-offs. Fix: RFC presentation practice.
Alternatives
| Alternative | Use When | Don't Use When |
|---|---|---|
| External bootcamp | Fast pipeline of candidates | No senior to mentor after |
| Hackathon hire | Proven shipping under pressure | No security depth yet |
| Contractor to FTE | Skill transfer period | Permanent staff need |
FAQs
How long junior to mid?
Typically 6-12 months with steady Solana work; varies by prior Rust experience.
Mob programming frequency?
Weekly for first month; monthly for new CPI classes.
EVM background ramp?
Extra week on account model; assign EVM comparison reading.
Leveling without Solana titles?
Use internal L3/L4 with Solana-specific competency appendix.
1:1 topics?
Career goals, blockers, last PR learning - not status report only.
Underperformer?
Clear improvement plan with rubric gaps; pair more, not less.
Remote mentoring?
Screen share + shared Surfpool session; async review videos.
Certifications?
Nice-to-have; ship devnet program weighs more.
Cross-team mentoring?
Solana guild across products; shared rubric and office hours.
Documentation as growth?
Writing docs pages solidifies mid-level understanding - assign section ownership.
Related
- Code Review Culture - review as teaching
- Delegation & Spreading Context - grow ownership
- The Solana Mental Model Ramp - onboarding content
Stack versions: This page was written for Agave 4.1.1, Solana CLI 3.0.10, Anchor 0.32.1, anchor-lang 0.32.1, Rust 1.91.1, @solana/kit 7.0.0, Surfpool 0.12.0, and LiteSVM 0.6.x.