Why the myth of the “10X” programmer is so destructive

A while back I bought this really nice pin-stripe suit. I really liked it, I looked really sharp in it and it was really comfortable. One time I wore it while walking a mile in a driving rainstorm, but it dried and looked good as new after I spent an hour inside a fast food joint.

So I started wearing it to job interviews. There is no doubt in my mind, that my interviewers did not believe I could possibly be a coder.

Computer programmers don't wear suits, you see.

Eventually I gave it to the poor. I had the idea it would help someone else get a job, doing something other than coding.

There's no objective or consistent measure of performance. A programmer may be super productive in one context but average or even a dud in another. Productivity is heavily influenced by factors beyond the individual, especially co-workers and the work environment.

Performance does not necessarily follow a bell curve distribution. For some skills a power law better describes the distribution of high and low performers. See http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2014/02/19/the-myth-o...