3 ms·

We need to talk about infinity X developers. I don’t care if someone is 10x faster than average at building a CRUD app, but there are developers who come up w

We need to talk about infinity X developers. I don’t care if someone is 10x faster than average at building a CRUD app, but there are developers who come up with solutions that an average dev would never come up with, even given a lifetime. I’m talking about innovations like Lisp, Deep Learning, React framework, the first 3D engines, CRDTs, Git version control, Bitcoin, etc…

83457 4y ago
If we are starting to talk about infinity X developers then we need to talk about savants.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
brushfoot 4y ago
Not to mention the devs who can look at a problem and say, "Software isn't the right solution for this. Let me give so-and-so a call and we'll have this ironed out in 5 minutes."
bob1029 4y ago
This is a much more meaningful litmus test for extreme capability. Building something like a 3D engine requires incredible mastery across multiple domains. The hardest part of these innovations isn't the software. It's developing an abstract mental model for the problem - repeatedly until it fits into an actual computer. When I work on my most extreme projects, I find the hardest stuff happens while I'm sitting around the house or scribbling on the whiteboard. Anyone who uses lines or hours of code as some statistic for capability can be instantly flagged as charlatan in my book. React is another good example. Absolutely nothing about it is a super deep pool of incredible innovation. The reason it's a thing is because someone had a very coherent vision in their mind for what the developer experience would be like. Then, they whacked at the workpiece until it approximated that idea. 10x is more about idea management than raw output.
notatoad 4y ago
i think the difference is that most of us actually have a shot at working with or hiring a 10x engineeer, so it's a useful thing to consider. the infinitely-better engineer is probably not going to be working at your company building CRUD apps.
ecf 4y ago
The whole concept of software engineers putting a “name” to the phenomenon of gifted individuals is cringe, in my opinion. Mathematicians don’t go around talking about professors in quantum physics with PHDs like they 10x high school teachers, etc. I don’t understand why this is a topic that keeps coming up.

83457 4y ago

If we are starting to talk about infinity X developers then we need to talk about savants.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

brushfoot 4y ago

Not to mention the devs who can look at a problem and say, "Software isn't the right solution for this. Let me give so-and-so a call and we'll have this ironed out in 5 minutes."

bob1029 4y ago

This is a much more meaningful litmus test for extreme capability. Building something like a 3D engine requires incredible mastery across multiple domains. The hardest part of these innovations isn't the software. It's developing an abstract mental model for the problem - repeatedly until it fits into an actual computer. When I work on my most extreme projects, I find the hardest stuff happens while I'm sitting around the house or scribbling on the whiteboard. Anyone who uses lines or hours of code as some statistic for capability can be instantly flagged as charlatan in my book. React is another good example. Absolutely nothing about it is a super deep pool of incredible innovation. The reason it's a thing is because someone had a very coherent vision in their mind for what the developer experience would be like. Then, they whacked at the workpiece until it approximated that idea. 10x is more about idea management than raw output.

notatoad 4y ago

i think the difference is that most of us actually have a shot at working with or hiring a 10x engineeer, so it's a useful thing to consider. the infinitely-better engineer is probably not going to be working at your company building CRUD apps.

ecf 4y ago

The whole concept of software engineers putting a “name” to the phenomenon of gifted individuals is cringe, in my opinion. Mathematicians don’t go around talking about professors in quantum physics with PHDs like they 10x high school teachers, etc. I don’t understand why this is a topic that keeps coming up.