>>The idea that you've got to be some sort of obsessive wretch with no life outside of tech in order to successfully fill a role at a tech company is nothing but a pernicious myth.
Right. But being good in this world is you vs your-peer-group. And if others in your peer group are too awesome, putting in insane hours and time getting ahead, sooner or later the top spots will be taken. And nobody likes to be stuck being ranked average despite the best they can do.
>>So is the idea that you've got to be some ridiculous super-genius.
Reminds me of this movie - "The Gambler"- A literature professor tells his students the difference between somebody who can write good stuff and being the next William Shakespeare. Everybody has to face this fact sooner or later. Special things happen only when you are ready to put in special effort. While reminding them, there is absolutely nothing wrong in being a electrician or a plumber.
>>All you have to do is be reasonably smart and capable of learning on the job.
Being good and not good enough will only take you that far. Of course, you can still do your job and get paid. But remember other people will likely take the top spots.
>>When interviewers at tech companies mistakenly believe that every successful candidate has to be building atom smashers in their spare time
Tech and especially fast changing ecosystem in Tech have seen large concentration of Nerds. Kind of people who've wanted to build video games, or win science fairs at school. When too many people of same type arrive at a place it becomes a culture.
>>But this isn't natural or normal or a product of biology - it's just bias perpetuating itself.
This is the most important part.
I had a friend who quit programming to do MBA and built a career there. He realized there is no way he would like to spend weekends exploring new tools that keep launching every few months and endless push to use bleeding edge stuff, work insane hours, weekends and with the overall fast paced, failure ridden culture of tech.
He is doing pretty well with managing business now.
Right. But being good in this world is you vs your-peer-group. And if others in your peer group are too awesome, putting in insane hours and time getting ahead, sooner or later the top spots will be taken. And nobody likes to be stuck being ranked average despite the best they can do.
>>So is the idea that you've got to be some ridiculous super-genius.
Reminds me of this movie - "The Gambler"- A literature professor tells his students the difference between somebody who can write good stuff and being the next William Shakespeare. Everybody has to face this fact sooner or later. Special things happen only when you are ready to put in special effort. While reminding them, there is absolutely nothing wrong in being a electrician or a plumber.
>>All you have to do is be reasonably smart and capable of learning on the job.
Being good and not good enough will only take you that far. Of course, you can still do your job and get paid. But remember other people will likely take the top spots.
>>When interviewers at tech companies mistakenly believe that every successful candidate has to be building atom smashers in their spare time
Tech and especially fast changing ecosystem in Tech have seen large concentration of Nerds. Kind of people who've wanted to build video games, or win science fairs at school. When too many people of same type arrive at a place it becomes a culture.
>>But this isn't natural or normal or a product of biology - it's just bias perpetuating itself.
This is the most important part.
I had a friend who quit programming to do MBA and built a career there. He realized there is no way he would like to spend weekends exploring new tools that keep launching every few months and endless push to use bleeding edge stuff, work insane hours, weekends and with the overall fast paced, failure ridden culture of tech.
He is doing pretty well with managing business now.