this post was submitted on 29 May 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I know that feeling all too well. Funny enough, I’d thought about going into software dev because I thought it’d let me work alone more comfortably. Along the way I found a way to learn dev but apply it to my job instead, making me pretty unique at what I do. It lets me innovate, do deep research, and work on my own while being pretty openly anti-social. Luckily I have a boss who sees the value in me.

I can’t tell you the number of once-interns and junior managers, stuck-in-a-rut folks, that I’ve quietly influenced to senior or higher positions. It really does feel incredible! I call it “leading from the back.” I’ve been wanting to write a book on it - the introverts and individual-contributors who quietly (and happily) influence without being seen.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

+1 on the book idea. Sounds like a delightful read. I have a similar philosophy as well that's worked for me. I've never once cared about getting credit or props, I make my boss/team look like geniuses. That naturally tends to reward you as well. Great individual contributors are actually pretty rare. Out of hundreds of engineers I've worked with closely, only a few were brilliant in the way you described.

If you're looking for related reading, perhaps for inspiration, there's a great book called

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain.

I highly recommend it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I would read this book! Even a blog post, I’d 100% be interested

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

For something that I really hesitated to post, that was really encouraging to hear. Thanks!