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Comment by shanev | Hacker News Reader

“I also personally look for engineers with a collaborative attitude rather than a competitive one.” -Leah Culver

This is a highly underrated attribute. Crucial to getting anything done effectively in a team.

This is an interesting discussion. I don't believe collaborative and competitive are actually at odds with each other, think professional sports teams as the most obvious example. Yes, you absolutely want collaborative players who will maximize the potential of the team, but you sure as hell want them to be competitive too.

I'm personally a very competitive person, and I love being part of a team that wins. The collaborative vs competitive mindset feels like a false dichotomy to me.

Good point. I'm also extremely competitive, but I like competing on teams more than I do as an individual. However, I've worked w/ people who are competitive with their peers/colleagues/coworkers. These are people that I would not hire. I think this is what Leah and @shanev are describing?

Yep that’s what I mean.

That makes sense, and I figured as much.

I just like to make a pitch for competitiveness being a positive trait whenever this comes up!

I think what OP is referring to is collaborating with your teammates, and competing against your company's competition. I've met far too many people whose mindset is that of competing against their teammates. It's the equivalent of a basketball player who never ever passes the ball.

I think Jordan Peterson said something about the mix of collaboration and competition in life.

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