[apwell23]

> My senior staff engineer can’t code at all. He got hired because he was friends with our engineering manager.

Well thats how it works everywhere. You have to suck up and pretent to be 'friends' with person with the power to get promoted too.

[hackable_sand]

You don't have to pretend. You didn't even have to be friends. You can even be mortal enemies with the powerful person.

Faking it is pathetic behavior.