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Earlier quoted context omitted.
Also, be tall, that doesn't hurt.
It's also not a bad idea to be rich, and whatever the most desirable gender and ethnicity are for your area, but those things are less actionable than social skills, fitness, and beauty.
Perhaps it is how SV eventually fizzles out- it must happen sometime.
> Only the previous week, he says, he returned from a 10-day trip to Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Before that, he boasts, he journeyed to a yoga retreat and juice cleanse in Bali, the perfect setting to unload the stress he absorbs working at a well-known tech company in Silicon Valley. After ending a five-year marriage and shedding 10 pounds of subcutaneous fat several years back — his sun-kissed body now carb- and toxin-f…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, totally. I notice a significant difference in how I'm treated, and even perceived technical proficiency, based on whether I'm in shape or not. Being well groomed also helps, but being in shape with sharply defined facial features seems the most significant thing. Losing the glasses and wearing contacts helps, too. OTOH, if I want to get by based on actual technical merits instead of outward attractiveness, then…
It not totally superficial - a good haircut, shaved face, groomed nose hair, groomed ear hair, nice, clean ironed clothes and good shoes is signalling - it’s saying “All the little things have been dealt with and I have attention to detail - and I am also wise enough to acknowledge that this is signalling and I’m willing to play the game”
OTOH, the actual engineers see through all the external signaling, which I've also discovered :) :P Or rather, the external signaling can work in the opposite direction with engineers.
At any rate, the big take away is it's ultimately about signaling one way or another, and knowledge about social signaling is probably most valuable for career advancement. Which can make a person cynical about the whole thing if one don't take such insight with moderation.
What a weasel-worded title! Better title: "In some places, some people say some things"
> Only the previous week, he says, he returned from a 10-day trip to Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Before that, he boasts, he journeyed to a yoga retreat and juice cleanse in Bali, the perfect setting to unload the stress he absorbs working at a well-known tech company in Silicon Valley. After ending a five-year marriage and shedding 10 pounds of subcutaneous fat several years back — his sun-kissed body now carb- and toxin-f…
One theory is that good looking software engineers aren't software engineers for very long. Why would you get paid shit wages when you can be a VP of telling people what to do? Call it the "jock-ification" of the tech world. It was bad enough when they were in high school, now they've infiltrated the tech world.
The "jock/nerd dichotomy" is a dumb harmful stereotype used by lazy hollywood and television writers. Many of the smartest people I've ever known were also the most athletic. There is NO inverse relationship between physical fitness and intelligence. If anything, there is a positive correlation between the two, as being healthy and well nourished makes you more likely to realize both your physical and intellectual potential.
> Only the previous week, he says, he returned from a 10-day trip to Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Before that, he boasts, he journeyed to a yoga retreat and juice cleanse in Bali, the perfect setting to unload the stress he absorbs working at a well-known tech company in Silicon Valley. After ending a five-year marriage and shedding 10 pounds of subcutaneous fat several years back — his sun-kissed body now carb- and toxin-f…
I’ve worked both on the east coast and in Cali and California is a very different place.
What's this?
I'm pretty convinced that the most important thing you can do for your career after achieving basic technical competence is to be more attractive, both physically and socially. The reality is that you're going to have an easier time making connections and getting access to opportunities if you're well-mannered, sociable, and attractive.