Killer Instinct As An Engineer
Wanted to write about something that clicked last night. The great differentiator between the median engineer and the median [salesman|manager|product person] is killer instinct. "Killer instinct" is the drive to hunt down and grab immediate results, setting aside other concerns (like: morality, long-term benefit, or the welfare of others) to do so. It is, in the some ways, the opposite of being a "team player," or "civilized person." It is essential for survival in defect-defect equilibria, which are the default, even in corporations. Two Trains, Headed For Collision... This causes trouble for engineers. Engineering work does demand that you be a team player, collaborate, exchange information without ego. But engineers work for companies, and you need killer instinct to prosper in companies. Companies don't like to admit that killer instinct is necessary to thrive in them. The official corporate line is that everyone is there to build long-