Authority is the memetic blind spot

I learned something uncomfortable when I became an engineering manager.

My technical opinions suddenly carried weight I didn’t intend them to have.

As a senior engineer, I had strong opinions about solutions and advocated for them. That was my job.

But as a manager, people sometimes stopped pushing back. They saw me as someone whose technical judgment could affect their careers.

This is mimetic desire in action. People copy what they think successful people want.

I lost access to the discussions that lead to better solutions. Junior developers stayed quiet. The collaborative tension that makes teams stronger disappeared.

I learned that being “right” about the technical solution mattered less than having the team bought into whatever we chose.

Your job isn’t to have the best technical opinions anymore. It’s to make sure the best technical opinions get heard.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​