The 10x Myth Is Real — You’re Just Measuring It Wrong
True leverage starts with empathy, not keystrokes.
The Truth About 10x Developers
A few years ago, the idea of the 10x developer was everywhere. Blog posts, conference talks, Twitter debates — the claim was simple: some developers are 10 times more productive than others. Or 100 times. Depending on who you asked.
The idea got a lot of pushback — and rightly so. It was often misused to glorify lone geniuses or justify toxic work cultures. But despite the noise, I’ve come to believe something simple: the 10x developer is real.
Just not in the way people usually think.
It’s not raw coding speed
If you compare junior developers to seniors, yes — the gap in productivity can be massive. But once you’re dealing with experienced engineers, the raw technical gap narrows. One developer might be 1.5x or even 2x faster than another. Not 10x. Not 100x. That’s not where the real multiplier is.
So where does it come from?
We’re in a strange industry
Software is intellectual work. We don’t just manufacture features. We solve problems with our brains — and we do it inside companies, for goals we don’t fully own. That’s not neutral territory.
To be truly effective in that kind of environment, you need more than technical skills. You need alignment. You need context. And above all, you need engagement.
Engagement is a multiplier
This is where things get interesting.
I’ve seen teams where developers were technically brilliant, but detached from the problem. The result? Mediocre output. And I’ve seen teams where the developers cared deeply about what they were solving. The difference in quality, ownership, and velocity was night and day.
Want 10x performance? Start by making developers care.
That means one thing: building empathy between developers and the users they serve. Not just specs. Not just tickets. But a clear understanding of who the product is for, and why it matters. When engineers feel connected to the people they’re building for, magic happens.
This is why I believe product managers have one job above all: to create that bridge. To help developers feel the problem. That’s the fastest way to unlock intrinsic motivation — and aligned, autonomous execution.
The best developers scale others
There’s another layer.
At some point in their career, great developers realize something: their impact no longer comes from being the smartest person in the room. It comes from how well they elevate the people around them.
You can double your own speed. Sure. But if you help a team of 10 go 30% faster, that’s far more valuable.
10x developers aren’t just fast — they scale. They guide design. They remove blockers. They teach. They bring clarity. They take ownership of outcomes, not just their code. And they do it quietly, often behind the scenes.
That kind of leverage doesn’t show up in commit stats. But it’s what truly moves the needle.
So what makes a 10x developer?
It’s not just raw skill.
It’s engagement: caring about the problem.
It’s alignment: understanding the why.
It’s leverage: enabling others to do better work.
These developers aren’t unicorns. They’re not born. They’re shaped by the environment around them — by teams that give them space, trust, and responsibility. The real challenge is not finding them. It’s creating the conditions where they emerge.
And when you do?
That’s when velocity starts compounding. That’s when things really get fun.
