10X Developers Never Get Promoted 😢

Summary

The video discusses the challenges and realities of career progression in tech. It explores why some highly skilled developers remain stuck in their roles while others advance. The speaker emphasizes the decision-making process of C-level executives, highlighting that promoting a highly productive developer is not always ideal. Instead, companies often prefer candidates with leadership qualities, even if they aren't the most technically skilled. The video also advises developers to be replaceable, likable, and visible to increase their chances of being promoted, rather than being irreplaceable experts who are indispensable in their current roles.

Takeaways

• 👨‍💻 Many talented and productive developers remain stuck in the same roles, and it's not always clear why.
• 🤔 The speaker reflects on whether this stagnation is a preview of their own future in tech.
• 💼 When companies grow, they often need to fill leadership positions but face challenges in deciding who should take these roles.
• 🤷‍♂️ Promoting a highly productive (10x) developer to a leadership role might leave a significant gap in coding productivity, which could harm the business.
• 📊 C-level executives rely on data and risk assessments to make decisions, often prioritizing their bonuses and the company’s short-term gains over individual employees’ careers.
• 🙅‍♂️ The most productive developer may not necessarily be the best fit for a leadership role due to a lack of soft skills, team rapport, or leadership training.
• 😔 Introverted, highly technical engineers are often overlooked for promotions in favor of more extroverted, personable, and visible colleagues, even if they are less technically skilled.
• ⚠️ External hires for leadership positions often come with risks, including people with a track record of ‘failing forward,’ who have moved between leadership roles despite not having real successes.
• 🧠 To get promoted, developers should focus on being replaceable, likable, and visible within the company, organizing team activities and knowledge-sharing sessions.
• 🚀 Developers who don’t want to get stuck should focus on developing social skills, learning to communicate well with non-technical teams, and positioning themselves as leaders who enable others.

Q & A

What concerns does the speaker raise about being 'stuck' in their tech career?

The speaker expresses concern about seeing highly experienced and productive developers stuck in the same role for years, earning similar pay, and wonders if this is their own future too.

Why does the speaker suggest that promoting a highly productive '10x developer' might not be the best decision for a company?

The speaker argues that promoting a '10x developer' to a leadership role could create a significant gap in productivity and knowledge in the development team, which could delay new product features and negatively impact business outcomes.

What is meant by the term 'failing forward' in the context of leadership hires?

'Failing forward' refers to individuals who, despite having no significant success in their previous leadership roles, continue to land high-level positions by leveraging their past experience, often at failed startups or acquisitions.

What attributes does the speaker suggest are more important for a leadership role than technical expertise?

The speaker suggests that soft skills, such as being extroverted, motivating others, communicating effectively with business partners, and being likable, are more important for leadership roles than deep technical expertise.

Why does the speaker discourage being irreplaceable as a '10x developer'?

The speaker discourages being irreplaceable because it can prevent someone from being promoted. If a developer is too critical to their current role, the company may not want to move them to a leadership position, as it would be too difficult to fill the gap left behind.

What strategies does the speaker suggest to position oneself for promotion in a tech career?

The speaker suggests being a '1x developer' who is replaceable, likable, and actively engaged in non-technical activities like organizing meetings, sharing knowledge, and participating in team events. Visibility and soft skills are key.

How does the speaker describe the difference between the work of a '10x developer' and the role of an engineering leader?

A '10x developer' excels at solving technical problems and coding, while an engineering leader needs to excel at communication, motivating teams, and managing business relationships—skills that may not be linked to technical expertise.

What does the speaker say about the importance of being likable in the workplace?

The speaker emphasizes that being likable is critical for promotion, as it makes it easier to work with others, and management tends to favor individuals who can build rapport over those with deep technical skills but poor interpersonal abilities.

Why does the speaker mention 'putting out fires in production' and why should it be avoided by those seeking leadership positions?

The speaker advises avoiding becoming the go-to person for 'putting out fires' in production because it makes the person indispensable to the development team, reducing their chances of being promoted to leadership roles.

What are some of the key phrases and concepts the speaker recommends using to increase visibility and appear more leadership-oriented?

The speaker suggests using phrases like 'enabling people,' 'engineering velocity,' 'unblocking efficiency,' and avoiding conventional time units like 'weeks or months' by using terms like 'developer hours' to sound more aligned with leadership and business strategy.