But I think there's a difference between someone who 'teaches' you and someone who is at a high enough level to discuss ideas or issues with you.
For example, in my first job I 'learned' the most not from the senior engineers around me but from another new grad who was just as curious as me.
We would discuss issues we're having, brainstorm solutions etc.
It was not so much that I learned from him, but that I had another brain of similar competence that I could fling ideas at.
Not having such a person makes your job more difficult (as you might find yourself in a rabbit hole and desperately need someone else's perspective) and much less enjoyable.
Imagine not having a competent dev in your team to review your code.
But I think there's a difference between someone who 'teaches' you and someone who is at a high enough level to discuss ideas or issues with you.
For example, in my first job I 'learned' the most not from the senior engineers around me but from another new grad who was just as curious as me. We would discuss issues we're having, brainstorm solutions etc. It was not so much that I learned from him, but that I had another brain of similar competence that I could fling ideas at.
Not having such a person makes your job more difficult (as you might find yourself in a rabbit hole and desperately need someone else's perspective) and much less enjoyable.
Imagine not having a competent dev in your team to review your code.