What is the next step I must take after being a developer for 4 years?
There are a lot of options for you. 1. Spend more years as a developer. Gain new skills and start to specialize in particular areas of interest and commercial benefit. Start taking up architectural and design roles. 2. Gradually move into management. There is only so much you can do with your own time. You start building skills that allow you to mobilize large groups of people towards a common goal. This is management. You can start out by engaging in supervisory or lead tasks with yourself and core team. Key item to consider is to lead by doing. 3. Start your own business. By this time, you should some skills to create a business of your own. Of course, always continue to learn and improve yourself. You don't need to decide on this today.