The brilliant jerk is back

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Is it worth the cost of your team culture and morale? 

Much like the trope of the “genius founder,” the “brilliant jerk” software engineer is an archetype that the tech industry clings to like a liferaft in times of uncertainty and change. 

Infamous for their arrogance, emotional volatility, and a penchant for steamrolling colleagues, the brilliant jerk is both a mythic figure and a symbol of compromise in the name of innovation. Although the brilliant jerk may be difficult to work with, their ability to “think outside the box” can deliver big results.

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