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A senior engineer describes the trap of trying to prove yourself by taking on ambitious projects in isolation, which leads to burnout and failure — and explains how to avoid it by becoming a great teammate instead and building momentum through consistent daily work.
- New senior engineers often disappear for weeks working on ambitious projects alone, then spiral when they haven't shipped anything, trying to make up for lost time with unsustainable hours that lead to burnout, depression, and getting fired or quitting.
- The fix is counterintuitive: drop expectations, become the best teammate on your team by doing unglamorous work like bugs and documentation, and rebuild relationships and trust with your manager and peers.
- Big projects succeed through steady daily work and reliability, not heroic efforts — once you build trust through consistent delivery, managers give you bigger work naturally.