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by GVIrish 3200 days ago
> It depends so much on what you're building. If you're doing _groundbreaking_ research in, say, AI or facial recognition or whatever, you may need people who are technical superstars.

I think this is true for high risk, cutting edge tech, the problem is that A LOT of companies think what they're doing meets that definition when it really doesn't. They think their NoSQL datastore with 10 million records and a single page frontend is the like putting someone on the moon.

And really maybe the point of the article is more that we should reconsider what makes one a superstar. Raw technical ability is one component, but communication, and teamwork are other very important components. It's like in basketball, someone may be an elite 1v1 player, but someone who is a great passer, defender, and leader is probably more valuable to a team.
2 comments
wmccullough 3200 days ago
>A LOT of companies think what they're doing meets that definition when it really doesn't.

Can you back that up with data? The majority of companies in the US have zero problems hiring developers who aren't rockstars even when their business model is unique for their industry. My evidence is the disproportionate number of questions from developers on Stackoverflow asking things that they would know if they had a decent amount of mastery in their field.

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GVIrish 3200 days ago
I'm saying most companies that think they're doing something groundbreaking that requires one-of-a-kind talent are wrong. These are the companies that put out silly job ads about how they're looking for ninjas/rockstars/geniuses and they only hire the best of the best in the field. Then they want candidates to jump through their ridiculous interview hoops.
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chrisco255 3200 days ago
Honestly I think this is just a symptom of over optimism on any company's part. This is sort of like how everyone thinks they're better than average at driving. All companies want to believe they are better than average at hiring. They also "choose the best" when, really they're just choosing the best from their limited talent pool.
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kafkaesq 3200 days ago
They think their NoSQL datastore with 10 million records and a single page frontend is the like putting someone on the moon.

And that they need to interview you, accordingly.

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