What I've learned:

* Language proficiency: I am proficient in $LANGUAGE because $COMPANY uses it for everything, really nice to sit down and write code without Googling.

* Full stack: I've done everything: AWS, infrastructure as code, database design, security, Web development, system architecture, etc. I love the breadth.

* Data: I work with data a lot and am good at wrangling it now.

* Management: I've been managing a team for a while now and have grown a lot from it.

* Communication: I've gotten better, but not great - hardest thing for me is convincing non-technical leadership how certain engineering investments are necessary / will pay off in the long run.

What I want:

* Engineering excellence: I want to be on a team where I feel junior.

* Less stress: I'm married and want to have more time with my spouse.

* Positive environment: Don't want to lose that.

* Remote: Again, want to keep this. (I am not in a tech scene like SF.)

So now I'm looking for a senior engineering role elsewhere. Advice on how to pick a company/team? I'm interviewing at companies whose products I've used before, and that seem solid, but perhaps the one I'm most worried about is gauging "engineering excellence." How do I know I won't be disappointed there? Some places do have more talent than others right?

In the longer-term I want to start a tech company or tech-focused non-profit, building an awesome product / product suite. Might even want to start building that on the side with my next role, as long as the time commitment is lower.

Thanks for any advice you can offer! :) It's nerve-wracking to leave my first job, a good job, and not know if I'm going someplace better or not - especially when I read Glassdoor and see people complaining about things, or when it seems the places I'm interviewing are second-tier.