Compared to coworkers in my last two companies I'd say I'm definitely well above average, but not the best. This might sound like boasting, but it boils down to

Compared to coworkers in my last two companies I'd say I'm definitely well above average, but not the best. This might sound like boasting, but it boils down to being good at delivering on time, caring about the craft and being motivated to improve things. I think if you care about what you do, then you're probably already in the upper 50%, because most people don't, and it shows. Now if you pair giving a fuck with some programming talent and interest in improving your skills and productivity you can easily get into the top 10%. To get into the top 1% you need to be very focused on programming. I have too many other hobbies to be that focused only on this aspect of my life. But I'm ok with that. If you start comparing yourself to internet people, there are just too many that you can compete with them on everything. There are too many experts in too many niches that you could read all the HN articles and compare favorably in comparison.