4 ms·

It is only two people :) I remember a time when I was younger and I too would present much of my persona as being based in the company for which I worked. As

It is only two people :) I remember a time when I was younger and I too would present much of my persona as being based in the company for which I worked. As time passes this fades significantly. I feel much more like my own person now, from whom my employer benefits, and not the other way around. Delusions of grandeur? Moi? Or the true wisdom of age? Why not both!

noduerme 4y ago
This is interesting. I think it's a healthy way of looking at things, and a good development. I'm always a bit curious about people complaining that "everyone defines themselves by their job", because I come from a blue collar background and I never wanted to do that - just the opposite. My job is what I do, not who I am. I write code; I'm good at it, but I don't view myself as any different from a car mechanic who's good at his job. And as I rose in rank, I never had the temptation to introduce myself as "CTO of X". But that wasn't because I wasn't proud of it. It's because I was suspicious of people. I've always wanted to see what other people made of me and how they acted towards me based on how they encountered me, without knowing my job or title. Partly this was to avoid people who are only interested in associating themselves with people they think can help them; partly it was to gauge whether I was still a decent and smart enough guy to be worth their time at face value. Occasionally it was to create simpatico with plumbers and mechanics. But I still refer to myself in most introductions as a former waiter, bartender and taxi driver who picked up some code in my free time, and unless someone knows me for a few months and I trust them, they wouldn't know what I actually did for a living. [edited for clarity]
scarface74 4y ago
It has nothing to do with “delusions of grandeur” or bragging about the company you work for. Most large tech companies tell you during your onboarding to disclose where you work and disclaim opinions as your own anytime you speak publicly about them. Especially in my case, I do speak for the company in a limited scope when I am working with one of our customers or when I do approved communications in the form of blog posts, presentations, etc. I’ve worked for 8 companies over 25+ years. The current company I work at (AWS) is another means for me to exchange labor for money.

noduerme 4y ago

This is interesting. I think it's a healthy way of looking at things, and a good development. I'm always a bit curious about people complaining that "everyone defines themselves by their job", because I come from a blue collar background and I never wanted to do that - just the opposite. My job is what I do, not who I am. I write code; I'm good at it, but I don't view myself as any different from a car mechanic who's good at his job. And as I rose in rank, I never had the temptation to introduce myself as "CTO of X". But that wasn't because I wasn't proud of it. It's because I was suspicious of people. I've always wanted to see what other people made of me and how they acted towards me based on how they encountered me, without knowing my job or title. Partly this was to avoid people who are only interested in associating themselves with people they think can help them; partly it was to gauge whether I was still a decent and smart enough guy to be worth their time at face value. Occasionally it was to create simpatico with plumbers and mechanics. But I still refer to myself in most introductions as a former waiter, bartender and taxi driver who picked up some code in my free time, and unless someone knows me for a few months and I trust them, they wouldn't know what I actually did for a living. [edited for clarity]

scarface74 4y ago

It has nothing to do with “delusions of grandeur” or bragging about the company you work for. Most large tech companies tell you during your onboarding to disclose where you work and disclaim opinions as your own anytime you speak publicly about them. Especially in my case, I do speak for the company in a limited scope when I am working with one of our customers or when I do approved communications in the form of blog posts, presentations, etc. I’ve worked for 8 companies over 25+ years. The current company I work at (AWS) is another means for me to exchange labor for money.