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mediocre people keep quiet and don't disturb the status quo
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Rising Star
It's not what you know, but who you know. Been that way forever
We like to think we're strong evaluators of talent, but it's a highly imperfect process. Think of how many times people hear feedback like "needs better presence". It's the type of phrase that is meaningless but sounds authoritative and managerial.
There’s a disconnect between the values of meritocracy that we were taught growing up VS how people operate and behave in reality. Even at D it seems like the people who put together some dumb bullshit project plan with arbritary deadlines often get more credit and authority than the developers doing the real work.
I was once one of those star performers. In the past, this sometimes threatened managers above me because they weren’t really needed. Now I shut up, never take the lead, do 50% effort of what I once did, and ironically have better job security and better ratings than before
The reality is we can push for changes in culture and people towards meritocracy, but there’s no guarantee it will work. My advice is to gauge whether your work culture is worth giving it your all. Do you work in a place full of backstabbers and credit stealers? High levels of toxicity? Do your work but stop putting in too much effort and mentally disconnect. Those places should always get the 9-5 minimal treatment.
Do you work with genuinely good people with good processes? Do you believe in the work you’re doing? Secure job? Give them star performance
We don’t have full control over culture, but we can change how to react. Shitty workplaces do not deserve our 100%. Good places do.
How do you define “capable” and “mediocre”
It's not about being right or wrong, smart or incompetent. Humans are a collectivist society that inherently fights for their own tribe. If you have opinions that disturb the status quo that folks don't agree with our benefit from, you lose favor. You don't need to be right, you just need to find your people if you want to thrive.