The Mythical 10x Engineer - Traits of a Quintessential Developer
Ever since the AI boom heralded a new age of technology, the notion of the “10x engineer” has grown out of Silicon Valley folklore and into the greater tech zeitgeist. With AI being able to churn out boilerplate code faster than ever, the difference between a mediocre developer and an excellent one has become all the more clear.
I have met many of these so-called 10x engineers, whether in school, at work, or even at social events. Anecdotally, I believe that this breed of engineer has highly specific qualities which differentiate them from their coworkers/peers. In my eyes, these aren’t just developers who simply code faster or work longer hours - they’re individuals who fundamentally approach technical challenges differently, while making use of both their strong technical backgrounds and relentless drive to continuously improve their skillset and coding toolkit.
What fascinates me most about these types of people isn’t their ability to write complex algorithms or debug complicated issues. Instead, it’s their uncanny ability to be the ultimate Jack of All Trades and finish the job at hand by any means necessary.
I hope to break down what I’ve observed to be the core traits that sets these types of individuals apart, and I hope to bestow upon you the knowledge to carry your projects to the next level.
1. Eat, Breathe and Sleep 10x
The first thing I’ve noticed about 10x engineers is that they don’t write code, they embody the engineering mindset in everything they do (call it aura, if you will 😉). Their GitHub profiles display a dazzling green mosaic filled to the brim with a plethora of diverse projects, ranging from clever dotfiles to ambitious applications using novel tech-stacks. But it’s not just about the quantity of contributions; it’s also about their personality and how they approach novel ideas (even outside the coding world).
These engineers possess an insatiable curiosity that goes far beyond the IDE. They’re the ones automating their home security with custom services, building extensive personal dashboards for monitoring everything from monthly spending to their extracurricular activities, and setting up elaborate CI/CD pipelines for their projects “just cuz”. Their own homes serve as personal laboratories where they experiment with the latest tech (MKBHD-style) - from self-hosted Kubernetes clusters to custom-built home automation systems that would put a smile on Tony Stark’s face.
What is particularly fascinating about this mindset is how it bleeds into non-technical endeavours as well. When they take up cooking for example, they approach it like any engineering problem - breaking it down into reusable components, optimising their kitchen workflow, making use of IoT tech to improve meals, and even making spreadsheets to keep track of food-related experiments and ingredient tracking. When they exercise, they’re logging their metrics and exhaustively analysing patterns. 10x engineers introduce systems thinking in any situation - using this approach to understand, optimise and improve their daily workflows.
Here’s the kicker: they don’t do these things because they’re forced to. They do it because they have to. They genuinely can’t imagine approaching life in any other way. It’s not about being flashy or trying to pad their resume; it’s the pure joy of building cool shit that keeps them going. This intrinsic and deep-seated motivation is what keeps them going. Burnout isn’t a problem for them because this is their way of life, not work.
2. The Technical Chameleon
Another key characteristic I’ve seen in 10x engineers is their remarkable ability to adapt to new technologies, tech stacks and frameworks with almost superhuman speed. To them, there is no notion of frontend, backend, devops or infrastructure developers. They’re fundamentally problem solvers at heart to happen to view programming languages as a tool in their arsenal to get them there.
What sets them apart from others isn’t just their ability to learn quickly, but rather the intuition they have for choosing the right tool for each job. Their strong domain expertise, paired with their ability to quickly become a master in their selected technical stack enables them to move seamlessly between different layers of the application. One day they might be optimizing PostgreSQL queries, the next day they’re fine-tuning Kubernetes deployments, and by the end of the week they’re building sleek UI components in React.
This versatility isn’t about being a jack of all trades and a master of none - quite the opposite. Rather, these engineers have the unique ability to dive deep into a situation when necessary while also understanding established ways to approach problems such as this one. They stay current with emerging technologies not because it’s “trendy”, but because they get that each new tool could help unblock them on a future problem.
3. Talk is Cheap. Show me the Code.
One of the most influential traits I’ve observed in 10x engineers is their relentless focus on tangible results. When it comes to programming, code that doesn’t do its intended purpose is useless. Oftentimes, people put labels on this code to make it seems like they’re making more progress than they actually are. Monikers like “Work in Progress”, “First Draft”, and “Base Code” are far too often used to sugarcoat code that still requires a significant amount of intellectual labor to get working.
10x engineers are able to cut through the smokescreen of productivity theatre. They understand that a partially working piece of code is infinitely more valuable than a perfectly architected system that only exists in the form of Figma mockups, technical specifications, or boilerplate. While others are debating the perfect implementation pattern and treating programming like a philosophical debate, the 10x engineer has already shipped a working prototype which actively delivers value to the conversation.
I’ve seen countless meetings (both in school and at work) where discussions about technical approaches drag on for hours, when coding the solution would have taken a fraction of the time. 10x engineers are able to demonstrate through working code what others merely theorize about. Being able to get the ball rolling with such persistence is what makes them special.
This approach is so beautiful in its simplicity. Either the code works, or it doesn’t. There is no hiding behind buzzwords or technical debt promises. While non-technical team members might try to muddy the waters with endless “process documents”, “alignment meetings”, and “sync-ups”, the 10x engineer is ultimately the one who brings clarity through action. They know that the best way to align on a solution is to build it and let the results speak for themselves.
To an extent, this mindset extends beyond just feature development. When investigating issues in prod, they don’t waste time pointing fingers or writing elaborate postmortems before the problem is fixed. Instead, they get their hands dirty; it’s way more efficient to push fixes rather than play theatrics with corporate. Ultimately, these are the people delivering value to the company, not the middle management whose only capability is t-shirt sizing sprint tickets.
4. The Artisan’s Touch
A less obvious but equally crucial trait of a 10x engineer is their relentless (and almost unbearable) pursuit of polish in everything they do and don’t deliver. While ordinary devs write code that only “works”, these engineers approach the trade with a craftsman’s eye for detail. Their repos don’t just serve a functional purpose - they are masterclasses in software engineering in terms of every aspect.
Don’t believe me? Go visit any of their personal repos and you’ll immediately see the difference. the README.md file isn’t just an afterthought. Rather, it’s brilliantly polished, concise, comes with clear setup instructions, troubleshooting guides, and features labyrinth-like architecture diagrams. Their commit history isn’t just a wall of messages such as “changes” or “final push”. They give clear, well-written descriptions that show they care at every twist and turn. Factors like environment setup aren’t left to chance - you’d be hard-pressed to find a project that hasn’t been dockerised to oblivion and back.
The code itself reflects this same attention to detail. Functions are properly named and structured. Specifications show foresight into how users should react to the code. Comments are sparse, but also help the reader understand why certain design decisions were made. Type checking at every turn is a must as well - either through transpiled languages like Typescript or through extensions like Ruby’s Sorbet.
What truly sets them apart from others is their understanding of what to polish. It’s almost like a sixth sense of identifying what parts of a system deserve extra attention and what can remain simple. 10x engineers understand the concept of technical complexity. Depending on factors like who the intended users are, how maintainable the code is, and who is working on the project, they are able to be proactive in their ownership of the codebase to ensure that no stones are left unturned in their work.
Some may point to what I’m saying and claim that it’s second nature, but I’ve witnessed far too many companies and technical environments where corners are cut and technical debt is amassed under the guise of being “agile”. These engineers offer a breath of fresh air by showing that true speed comes from being right the first time.
5. Beyond the IDE
Besides the traits covered so far, it’s become abundantly clear that being a 10x engineer transcends just being a good coder. The patterns we have discussed - the relentless drive for self-improvement, the ability to adapt to any technical challenge, the bias for action, and the craftsman’s attention to detail - these aren’t just characteristics of someone who knows how to program well. It’s actually a problem-solving paradigm which transcends the software development landscape altogether.
In my eyes, 10x engineers don’t just apply their thinking to codebases. Programming is just an abstraction layer we use to solve problems. Truly talented 10x engineers are able to see through the veil and approach any challenge - technical and nontechnical - with the same calculated and methodological mindset.
This broader perspective is what sets them apart from those who simply write good code. They understand that their value isn’t measured in commits pushed or tickets closed, but rather in the ripple effects their decision making has throughout an organisation. When they are designing a system - they understand that the what will have far longer lasting effects than how. It’s easy to throw talented coders at a problem, but the endeavour will be pointless if the problem never existed in the first place.
These engineers recognise that true impact comes from knowing what problems not to solve. They have a near superhuman ability to see through an authority’s technical jargon and spot when a technical solution is being assigned for what is essentially a process or communication issue. While a lot of devs prefer to turn on their blinders and build things, They step back and ask fundamental questions: “What are we trying to achieve here?” and “Is this really the most effective way to solve a problem?”
In the end, being a 10x engineer is more than just having 10 different languages in your LinkedIn profile headline - it’s about having the wisdom to see beyond technical challenges to the heart of what actually matters. They understand that tech empires aren’t built on people who can ship code as fast as possible, but instead in the people who can identify what needs to be written in the first place. Every line of code is a liability - a future maintenance burden that needs to justify its existence based on the value it creates. These engineers don’t just focus on building solutions; they shape the very problems the organisation chooses to solve.
In a world where everyone can learn to code, 10x engineers are the people who teach us how to think. At the end of the day, it’s not about cranking out code like a ChatGPT instance or learning your nth Javascript framework. While many developers are trapped in the corporate weeds of velocity metrics and story points, 10x engineers cut the bullshit and actually focus on moving the needle.
These are the types of people who inevitably become your tech millionaires. Your Peter Thiel’s. Your Mark Zuckerberg’s. Your Larry Page’s. These people didn’t know the most languages, didn’t have the highest ELO on CodeForces, and certainly didn’t memorise Cracking the Coding Interview. What sets them apart is their ability to see through the noise and identify opportunities that others missed. They understood that true value isn’t created by following tickets in a sprint, but by solving real problems that affect millions of users. While the tech industry has a ruthless obsession with technical skills, they remind us that the biggest success stories come from those who know which problems are actually worth solving.