You're right that some industries have become less hospitable to shy people. But frankly I've always seen tech as a high-effort/high-payoff sort of industry.

You're right that some industries have become less hospitable to shy people. But frankly I've always seen tech as a high-effort/high-payoff sort of industry. Where, even if that meritocratic ideal is far from realized in practice, it's still a large factor in why many people are in the industry. They plan on working as hard as they can to get the best payout they can. This is an inherently competitive environment, which consequently will tend to be hostile to introverts. That's not to say an introvert can't do well in the industry. But if the individual in question is hyper-competitive in addition to being shy, they're probably going to hate the experience. The trait of hyper-competitiveness does not sit well with shyness.