L3/Junior (- years): You execute well-defined tasks. Know basics, write clean code.
L4/Mid (- years): You own features end-to-end. Propose solutions. Debug production issues.
L5/Senior (- years): You lead projects, mentor juniors. Handle ambiguous problems independently.
L6/Staff (+ years): You set technical direction. Cross-team influence.
L7/Principal: Company-wide impact. Define best practices.
Your interview scales in ambiguity and scope as level increases.