Most engineers never break into the top 1%. Not because they aren’t smart—but because no one teaches them how. After 20 years in tech, from being an early engineer at WhatsApp to leading teams at Meta, I’ve seen firsthand what separates top engineers from the rest. I recently turned 40 years old and I’m sharing 40 lessons I wish I knew earlier.
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1. Small teams can outperform giants all the time.
2. WhatsApp had just 55 employees when Facebook acquired us for $19 billion—impact isn’t about headcount, it’s about focus.
3. Scalability beats gimmicky features. Flashy features don’t matter if the core experience isn’t rock solid.
4. Prioritization is key. Every engineer on our team knew that stability and reliability mattered more than feature creep.
5. Build for the long term. Think in decades, not quarters. At WhatsApp, we built for a billion users from day one.
6. High-leverage work beats busywork. Just because you can solve something doesn’t mean you should.
7. Your mindset—not your technical skills—might be your biggest limitation.
8. That perfect tech stack you’re learning? It will be outdated soon.
9. What matters more is learning how to learn. Master the ability to quickly absorb new concepts.
10. Your CS degree? Not as important as you think. Fundamentals matter more than the school name.
11. Think like an owner, not an employee. I once saved my team 6 months of work just by asking, Why are we building this?
12. Simplify, don’t complicate. The best engineers can explain complex systems simply.
13. The best solution doesn’t always win—the one that gets buy-in does. Learn to sell your ideas.
14. Keep a brag document. Document your wins so promotions become a formality, not a debate.
15. AI won’t replace engineers, but those who can’t collaborate, adapt, and communicate will be the first to go.
16. Skills are just the entry ticket. Influence sets you apart.
17. Credibility comes from consistently delivering results. If you promise a deadline, meet it—or own the failure and fix it.
18. Likeability comes from being easy to work with. Be clear, confident, and helpful.
19. Don’t be a jerk. I’ve seen brilliant engineers get fired because no one wanted to work with them.
20. If you can’t get along with people, you better be irreplaceable—like Steve Jobs. But let’s be real, you’re probably not Steve Jobs.
21. Pick your battles. Ask yourself, Will this matter in a year?
22. Being “right” doesn’t matter if no one listens. Influence is as important as correctness.
23. Even if you can sell ideas, you can still get stuck if you ignore this: A great manager can help you skip levels, a bad one can keep you stuck for years.
24. Work with your manager, not against them. Aligning with them accelerates your career.
25. If you can’t work with your manager, find a mentor. The right mentor can save you years of trial and error.
26. Network strategically. Real networking isn’t about LinkedIn requests—it’s about building relationships with people ahead of you.
27. If you can’t find a mentor, invest in a coach. The right guidance pays for itself many times over.
28. If you’re still trying to break in—or land a better role—none of this matters if you can’t pass the interview.
29. Passing an interview doesn’t mean you’re a great engineer. It means you’re good at interviews.
30. Your resume has 7-8 seconds to stand out. Make every word count. (I have a book on this—check out the Ultimate Resume Handbook.)
31. Most candidates fail LeetCode because they focus on the answer instead of how they think.
32. The best interview hack? Think out loud. Let them see your problem-solving process.
33. The highest-paid engineers don’t wait for opportunities—they create them. Your network opens more doors than your resume ever will.
34. You can land the best job in the world, but what happens next? The industry is shifting fast.
35. AI is rewriting the rules. Engineers who master AI-assisted coding now will dominate the future.
36. Don’t welcome comfort. The moment you stop learning is the moment you start becoming obsolete.
37. The best time to start leveling up? Yesterday. The second-best time? Also yesterday. So start today.
38. Build your career like a product. Have a roadmap, gather feedback, and iterate.
39. Think long-term—5, 10 years ahead, not just the next promotion.
40. And the most important lesson? The top 1% engineers don’t wait for opportunities—they create them. Stop asking for permission. Start acting like the engineer you want to become.
Now that you have these 40 lessons—what will you actually do with them? Knowledge means nothing without action.
Drop a comment below: Which lesson hit you the hardest?
Exaltitude newsletter is packed with advice for navigating your engineering career journey successfully. Sign up to stay tuned!
