31–40 of 243 posts
An actually intelligent person is happy to prove his thinking via truthful argumentation (and unit tests, documentation, and so on), and also happy to get his points refuted by similarly reasonable peers.
Anything other than that approach is noise.
This doesn't pass the Torvald test. i.e. Would your startup hire Linus if he hadn't yet created linux and git?
No.
I think one reason people become bullies is because they know they can't back up their decisions with skill. Linus is brash, but is quite able to work well with people and has the results to prove it.
Most people who adopt bully tactics are simply doing it for tactical reasons to hide their own weaknesses.
The myth of "brilliant jerks" is harmful because it lets any jerk pretend he's doing it because he's brilliant, when chances are he's just afraid of being unmasked as mediocre.
As a corollary, engineering culture should be very open to every member of the team learning and being very open to lessons learned (read: mistakes made) in the process. Bullies often intimidate by criticizing others' decisions, which creates an atmosphere of fear that prevents rational thought and stifles group learning.
This doesn't pass the Torvald test. i.e. Would your startup hire Linus if he hadn't yet created linux and git?
- A successful startup does not depend on miracles, geniuses and such.
I'd add that from an engineering perspective, 'brilliant' jerks aren't even that brilliant. An actually intelligent person is happy to prove his thinking via truthful argumentation (and unit tests, documentation, and so on), and also happy to get his points refuted by similarly reasonable peers. Anything other than that approach is noise.
Agree with everything except: 'Anything other than that approach is noise.' It is signal that the individual is not capable, and dangerous to work with.
I have no problem working with jerks, as long as they're brilliant. Culture fit also means not hiring people who are going to scream bloody murder at a disagreement, if your team is full of disagreeables.
Being a jerk and disagreeing are orthogonal. You can be a jerk while agreeing with someone, and be a not-jerk while disagreeing. I'm curious, in reference to the post, how you would have no problem working with a "Bob"? Is there really no behaviour there that would bother you in a coworker?
I might not be personally all that bothered, since people tend not to get the better of me, but it probably wouldn't be productive to have such a person in a team, and there's a good chance they don't care enough to be productive, and most people wouldn't work with them (as this thread shows).
There's probably only one way you could employ Bob, and that's as an external solo contractor.
I was so Alice for much of my career. I know this is going to sound totally cliche because this book get's recommended everywhere, but How to Win Friends and Influence People really did help me.
Do you feel like you've made lasting changes as a result of the book, or is it just another choice you can choose to do in a social interaction? *By lasting changes I mean, do you feel like you've changed and valued being more sociable?
I have no problem working with jerks, as long as they're brilliant. Culture fit also means not hiring people who are going to scream bloody murder at a disagreement, if your team is full of disagreeables.
The situation I've encountered is a jerk who was actually fairly mediocre in his abilities but whose bully characteristics and brash confidence had led many of the non-technical people in the company to believe he was extremely skilled. I think one reason people become bullies is because they know they can't back up their decisions with skill. Linus is brash, but is quite able to work well with people and has the res…
It is possible to understand how to handle this kind of behaviors though. I would wager that most software engineers could certainly learn a bit more about behavioral psychology. In particular, although it is still a little taboo, I would recommend talking to a therapist even if one doesn't seem to exhibit any explicit pathologies. Its rather shocking just how much our formative experiences influence the subconscious throughout our lives; and in my opinion it is helpful to at least understand that better, if not to change them.
I have no problem working with jerks, as long as they're brilliant. Culture fit also means not hiring people who are going to scream bloody murder at a disagreement, if your team is full of disagreeables.
I'd be completely fine working with Alice. Bob would be a net negative to the team, though.