I've been pondering a unique situation and wanted to reach out to this community to gain some valuable insights. Have any of you found yourselves as an average performer working alongside an extraordinary team of highly talented professionals? If so, I'd love to hear about your experiences and the lessons you learned along the way. Picture this: You start your journey in the software engineering world as a novice, gradually learning and becoming comfortable with the tech stack and domain. It feels like climbing a staircaseβone step at a time. But what if, instead of ascending one step at a time, you find yourself propelled forward, seemingly climbing two or three steps at once? How does this rapid progression shape your growth and skill acquisition? I'm particularly interested in understanding the challenges and triumphs that come with such an experience. Did you feel like an imposter at first, struggling to meet the high expectations set by your brilliant teammates? How did you bridge the gap between your existing skill level and the expertise demanded by the team? Was it a daunting task to consistently deliver at the level expected of you, especially when working with engineers (L6, L7, staff/architects) from renowned companies like Netflix, Meta, Google, and more? Perhaps you joined this extraordinary team after spending a couple of years at a relatively unknown company, or maybe you transitioned directly from college. Regardless of your background, I'd love to hear your perspective on whether this accelerated learning experience was worth it. Did it shape you into a stronger, more competent software engineer? What strategies did you employ to keep up with your brilliant peers? Of course, I'm aware that faking your way into a team of highly competent engineers is relatively easy. However, the real challenge lies in consistently delivering the quality of work expected from you. So, if you've been in this situation, I'm eager to learn from your firsthand experience. Please share your stories, insights, and advice. TC: 350K
Nope. Usually you are squeezed out.