The salary increase part or just the constant pursuit to be better than your coworkers? I always found development to be less competitive field than others - what are your experiences of the past 5 years?

At least for me, competition has always been fierce especially early on and I paid for it with my health. In later years, I have found that I have acquired the tools (technical and business-oriented) and discipline to hold my own amongst my colleagues and also recognize political patterns in organizations without burning out. That has helped me survive this long without folding my hand early in the game. I love coding, but not as much as my health and well-being.

Less competitive? Have you ever done a whiteboard interview with a guy on a power trip?

At first it was the salary, now I find it being on the dev side of things and general company strategy. I'm always wanting to be included on every discussion within the company(30+ employees, I was employee number 6 or 7) if it relates to something I know about. It feels like an obsession. Sorry for the late response.