[throwawayweed]

Years ago, I was Bob but a junior engineer.

I had previous experience working in research, and tended towards a more hacker's style of coding that had always been good enough for the prestigious lab where I interned. Looking back, the older guys on my team were signaling disapproval to management but would never correct me to my face, and never offered constructive feedback. My manager was largely the same way. People in tech tend to be terrified of controversy and struggle with conflict.

Getting PIP'd was the best thing for me, because it established clear standards and goals for me in my role. In sixth months, I got promoted. Sometimes it's a communication thing.