[thwarted]

What rhetoric? Are you confusing this with "the 10x programmer" meme?

Claims of becoming a 10x better programmer aren't claims about making one a 10x programmer. The former is about relative self-improvement and motivationally hyperbolic; the latter is about relative comparison to others, is often used negatively to belittle, and is detrimentally hyperbolic.

[Dylan16807]

> motivationally hyperbolic

It's such a ridiculously high number that it ceases to be motivational.

[kazagistar]

I would defensively be more hyperbolic and use a different number, just because 10x is tainted by stupid ideas in programming. But your intent was pretty clear to anyone paying attention... that's just a high bar sometimes.