In the old model, you hired "software engineers." The job was clear: write code, attend meetings, review PRs, ship features. Speed came from typing faster, knowing more patterns, and having deeper language expertise.

In the factory model, the most important role is the Builder. And it's a fundamentally different job.

A Builder doesn't write code. A Builder operates a system that produces code. The distinction matters because it changes what you hire for, how you evaluate performance, and what "senior" means.