You shipped the code. Now defend every decision in it.
Start a session with Dev →“You used AI for this — fine. Now tell me why this function is shaped that way.”
Every session ends with a written report scored on these three axes, with the transcript attached so you can see what earned each mark.
Can they walk someone through a codebase verbally, in a sensible order, without reading it line by line?
Do they understand why the code is shaped the way it is, including trade-offs, edge cases and failure modes?
When a decision is questioned, do they defend it with reasoning, concede cleanly, or freeze?
System design, trade-offs, and war stories from production.
Hands-on problem solving, code quality, debugging, and engineering judgment.
Something is broken. Find it, out loud, with someone watching.