Why do SWEs have "Elite" Status?
So.. on Blind, every post which informs about their new offers and fancy TCs, is from a SWE. When asked the secret to their success, each and every one of them says grinding LC is the key. Grinding LC has become the new "Elite Entrance Test" like GRE/GMAT/SAT in the US, or like the super competitive and the most sought after exam in India, the IIT-JEE, just so you can get to wear the "IIT Brand" for the rest of your life. Ever wondered how this impacts other people in Tech, doing as important or critically relevant and high impact work other than just writing code in a traditional programming language like Java? Most people in Tech write some kind of code. It could be Infrastructure as Code, code for automation/configuration management with YAML playbooks (Ansible), writing data queries, embedded systems code.. the list is long. However, I have personally seen how non-SWE Tech people talk about a SWE position. There is a certain God like reverence for a SWE position. Doesn't this lead to an inferiority complex in people who may actually be really good at their jobs, but feel lowly about themselves because only SWEs seem to be respected here on Blind. How many SWEs are able to architect a cloud infrastructure stack? Can they provide end-to-end solutions to a customer like how Solutions Architects are able to? Can they design an entire Database structure and simplify data navigation? Can they troubleshoot a network related outage or mitigate a Security incident? I bet all the above roles I mentioned must also be offering TCs similar to what SWEs get.. or maybe even more as they have very deep knowledge in one specific area of technology. Almost all of these roles do not require working/writing application code and need DSA/OOP knowledge. But.. Blind paints an impression that SWE is the only way to make it BIG in Tech, and LeetCode has been promoted to God Mode status. Can we also have more participation from non-SWE Tech pros? I feel it is high time we let the world know that SWE is NOT the only path to big success in Tech. I would love to read Blind community's view on this.. #amazon #google #meta #apple #netflix
You are overthinking it
In an environment where nearly everyone is a SWE, SWE is considered elite. Itâs just numbers.
I guess mostly people use SWE as generalized term. Specially non-tech people, for them Cloud Architects, Network Security Engineers, Database Engineers, Embedded Engineers all are SWE.
Not true when they see your TC
TC or GTFO
Donât hate grinding leetcode too much. Itâs just showing to your employer that you are either (determined and hardworking) or a smart ass. These are important attitude to any job.
Agree with you 100%. Blind make you feel that only SWE job are elite. As others mentioned it is more of demand and supply. Job market is huge for SWE compared to other roles and that is the reason fresh graduates are more inclined towards it. Majority of posts and replies in blind from these young folks. I wish there is more contribution from non-SWE.
Itâs trueâŚI think thereâs not enough focus on other roles in tech. Theyâre not as well compensated anyways. So the smart ppl end up becoming SWEs. But Dropbox for example, seriously lacks Designers and PMs. And it showsâŚ
Echo chamber
When I was young, the Dot Com crash and "Office Space" didn't exactly make SWE seem glamorous or "elite." Kevin Smith is making a "Clerks III" so Gen X slackers are still going. SWE only elite now because it pays okay money. You still can wear whatever you want, you're not a suit, but you still have to work in an office (even if it's a home office). We just wanted to hang out with friends and get stoned. Now it's all social media and image cultivation and advertising, which generates money from image-obsessed youth. Someone has to build the websites to capture this market, so they pay. You need enough money or alternatives to stay off the street and to eat. Everything over that is gravy, mostly squirreling away out of fear of medical problems or age eliminating your ability to work or the hope that at some point in life, you can make it so you only do whatever you want to do and can retire. Do whatever you want, it's not a competition.
I mean the stuff you talked about whether a SWE can do I actually had to do when I worked at MessageBird, we always hated it and asked for hiring a to deal with it but the fact of the matter is SWE as a career has a very expansive umbrella that can cover various other roles youâre talking about those roles canât do the same for SWE. SWE is not just writing and working on applications, at least not from what Iâve seen.
Supply and Demand. Just like Energy is elite now in Europe
Or rubbble... buhahahahha
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