[ewjt]

The annual cadence simplifies our planning— we can preview features a year ahead and prepare for the LTS release. It also shortens the feedback cycle for Microsoft which has to be useful.

From a recruiting standpoint, it allows me to start conversations. I don’t take points off if candidates haven’t worked on the latest version, but one of my go-to questions is “What features in .NET X are you looking forward to using?”.

In an industry of constant change, it’s a negative signal if you don’t know anything about the current version of the platforms you use. Many, many candidates don’t.