[matt-snider]

That quote was used in the article! I guess you missed it:

> If you’ve ever heard the aphorism about “ten years of experience or the same year of experience ten times,” the Expert Beginner is the epitome of the latter.

I agree with the factors you listed. As always I think company culture plays a big role too. If you're surrounded by expert beginners it's like an echo chamber where everyone thinks they are rockstars. Being surrounded by people who genuinely want to learn and improve instils the opposite mentality and drives progress.

[Chris_Newton]

So it is… I must have managed to skip over that paragraph. In my defence, I’d woken up in the middle of the night and just read all four articles in the series while wondering whether I was going to get any more sleep. :o)