Big tech engineers need big egos
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Effective software engineers at large tech companies need a paradoxical combination of high and low ego. High ego is necessary to power through the uncertainty of large codebases, take firm technical positions, make enemies when needed, and correct incorrect claims in meetings. However, the same engineers must be willing to subordinate their ego to organizational hierarchy, accept project cancellations, and avoid challenging executives on strategic decisions. The most successful big tech engineers act as chameleons: assertive with peers and subordinates, deferential to those above them. Engineers who are uniformly high-ego get slapped down by executives, while uniformly low-ego engineers can't get things done.
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Engineers need ego to work in large codebasesEngineers need ego to work in big tech companiesSometimes you need to put your ego asideFinal thoughtsSort: