I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but in our profession, there are two types of people: doers who are too busy doing to talk much about it, and talkers who spend at least as much time discussing what they’ve done as actually doing it. And here’s the uncomfortable truth—in certain environments, the latter strategy pays off handsomely.

Let’s explore why.

The doers: excellence in the shadows#

You know these developers because you respect them. They’re not known by everyone—only by fellow specialists who can actually measure and appreciate their performance. They’re often low-visibility, rarely heard from, but the work gets done and it gets done well.

And it’s not just about quality—these developers tend to be heavily invested. They don’t count hours. They’re the ones who’ll dive deep into a problem at 9pm because they genuinely care about getting it right.

Their expertise is recognized by everyone who matters, and they’re the ones people turn to when real expertise is needed. Their entire strategy rests on one assumption: that others will recognize their talent naturally.

This works beautifully in environments where everyone knows everyone well, where management is close enough to their teams to see who’s actually carrying the weight. In a small startup or a tight-knit team, doers can thrive. Their results speak louder than any self-promotion ever could.

But in Big Tech? They get completely overshadowed by the talkers.

The talkers: masters of the visible#

These are the ones you can hear from a mile away, the ones everyone knows—not necessarily because they’re exceptional, but because everyone knows what they’ve accomplished. Or at least what they say they’ve accomplished.

Compared to the doers, talkers appear to do far more, produce far more, solve far more complex problems, and help others significantly more. At least that’s what you’d conclude from the outside, comparing only what’s visible.

Talkers struggle in environments where performance is actually measured, where everyone can see exactly who contributes what. They struggle in startups because they’re often seen as impostors.

But in Big Tech? They’re like fish in water. They’ve figured out how to navigate the system perfectly and they excel at it.

The invisible ceiling#

Here’s what many developers don’t realize until it’s too late: in Big Tech, there’s an invisible ceiling for doers. Getting promoted to the standard levels that everyone reaches within a few years? Sure, your technical competence will get you there.

But beyond that—staff engineer, principal, distinguished—the promotion system doesn’t just favor talkers. It structurally requires you to be one. Visibility isn’t a nice-to-have at those levels; it’s the primary currency. If you can’t demonstrate impact broadly, communicate your work effectively, and build a reputation across teams and orgs, you literally cannot advance. No amount of exceptional code will compensate.

The system isn’t designed to find and reward hidden excellence. It rewards talking—and the more you talk, the bigger the reward. But here’s the cruel math: time is finite. The more time you spend talking about your work, broadcasting your impact, building your brand across organizations, the less time you have for actual execution. So in a twisted way, the system ends up rewarding those who do less, as long as they’ve understood the game and are willing to play it.

To be clear: communicating impact, writing docs, and sharing knowledge are valuable. The trap is when visibility becomes the work itself, rather than a reflection of it.

The balancing act#

Now, I have a pretty clear personal opinion about who I want to work with. But we have to be honest: doers are betting that their natural talent is enough to shine. That may be true in some companies, but it’s a very risky bet overall.

Talkers, on the other hand, do their own PR and market themselves aggressively. They’ve figured out how to navigate the system and climb the ranks in Big Tech environments. It can backfire in smaller structures, but that’s not where they want to work.

As my very first manager once told me: “It’s not just what you know, it’s who knows that you know.” You need a lot of the first, and a bit of the second.

Be a doer, certainly, but one who knows how to sell themselves… just a little bit.