[0db532a0]

Unless you’re happy with playing a supporting role, gaming should be left as an activity for friends only. Higher-ups do not like being shown up by lower-downs. This doesn’t only apply to team sports.

I learnt this by coming second in a solitary, competitive sport for the Christmas event, which the higher-ups were into in their free time, and which I had no experience with, as a new, young employee. I came first in a similarly solitary sport we all participated in the following year.

My project manager had been going around telling everyone how good he was at this sport, how we shouldn’t even bother. This encouraged me to make even more of an effort. He came second, his manager third. He and a few others booed me while I received the trophy.

It didn’t last long there. Just let them win.

[icebraining]

Sounds like a good learning experience. Cocky arrogant people will generally resent you for showing them up, you should only do so if you don't mind the possible consequences.

Better to learn that in an inconsequential game than in a project, where you might weeks or months of work shot down (even at the expense of the company).

Thankfully most of my bosses weren't like that, they had their flaws but I never feared such pettiness. If your local job market is good, don't settle for that crap.

[0db532a0]

I learnt that both in the game and in the project. I'll probably never learn.

[bitL]

"Never outshine your boss", unfortunately.

I once had a bet with the CEO that I can implement one very competitive functionality in 10 minutes. I won. The functionality never made it to production and any questions regarding it (even from customers) were deflected. Some people hate to lose and become completely irrational about it.

[Jamwinner]

Then would be my cue to start job shopping. That kind of attitude poisons the well.

[bitL]

In retrospective I should have as it manifested itself later in some shady moves (almost mafia-style); but I was traveling around the world, having time of my life, and could work on my own side-business, so I didn't mind. Since then I did a top 10 ML degree and MBA, moved to a completely different orbit and it gave me a "good" experience observing red flags and correlating them with behavior that might come handy when dealing with business partners.

[cjfd]

I once played chess against one of the owners of the company at the Friday afternoon drinks event. When things started to look good for me he just left the drinks event. He does not seem to hold it against me in any way, though. When the other owner arrived a bit later at the drinks and was told about this, he found it rather funny and said that it was typical of the other owner. All in all, it was kind of funny.

[linhub]

Like someone pointed out, seems like a problem you would have either way with that kind of person (bad losers). Still, competition can get though, that's why one of the ideas is to compete against other teams/companies' teams.