Ironically, I did work at FAANG. I was a delusional youngster who was a perfectionist & workaholic like many of my peers. The people I'm referencing who stuck

Ironically, I did work at FAANG. I was a delusional youngster who was a perfectionist & workaholic like many of my peers. The people I'm referencing who stuck around: they're now in their late-30s and early-40s. They eventually shunned ladder climbing and realized that their L6 positions could ultimately be sustained with much less grind while steadily maintaining "meets expectations" on perf.