Why Silicon Valley Is Warning About Hiring 'Monster Developers' Who Do It All by Themselves
Date
Feb 25, 2026
Classification
- Startups
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- Organization/Leadership
“Why look for social skills for work?”... Startup CEOs Seek Only ‘Lone Geniuses’
#CrackEngineer #SiliconValleyTrends #StartupHiring #OrganizationalCulture
🫑 3-Line Summary
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Recently, there has been a growing trend among Silicon Valley AI startups to obsess over hiring so-called "cracked" engineers who boast overwhelming coding speed and extreme immersion.
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While they rapidly increase short-term code output, their self-centered play often leads to frequent errors, forcing their colleagues to clean up the mess and lowering the overall efficiency of the team.
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Accordingly, the value of '10x Engineers'—who improve internal collaboration tools and help team members solve problems to increase the productivity of the entire organization—is once again gaining attention, rather than those who merely show off their flashy individual skills.
🥦 Insight
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People who are fast alone vs. people who are fast together
As AI assists with many aspects of development, it seems the illusion that products can be built quickly with just a few genius developers has grown in the industry. However, extreme individualism—such as coding in a corner even at a party—is bound to return as a fatal boomerang, leading to a breakdown in communication and the collapse of teamwork. If you are a team leader or a recruiter, it is time to coolly consider whether the talent we are looking for is a lone wolf trying to do the work of ten people on their own, or a true maker who elevates the performance of ten colleagues.
🥄 A spoonful of execution
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Is our team's ace the type to run alone, or a pacemaker who looks after those around them? Rather than being distracted by flashy credentials or development speed, why not offer a warm word of thanks today to the unsung contributors who fill in the team's gaps behind the scenes?
—— View Original ——
Silicon Valley Culture Changing with AI
The preference for 'cracked engineers' is increasing
While it is advantageous for boosting short-term productivity
Long-term competitiveness declines due to weakened teamwork and diversity
The preference for 'cracked engineers' is increasing
While it is advantageous for boosting short-term productivity
Long-term competitiveness declines due to weakened teamwork and diversity
Amid the rapid changes in the software development environment driven by the spread of artificial intelligence (AI), concerns are being raised that the hiring strategies of some AI startups, which obsess over so-called "cracked engineers," could actually hinder their long-term growth.
The analysis suggests that a culture that prioritizes outstanding individual capabilities and relentless commitment may be beneficial for short-term performance, but it weakens teamwork and organizational stability.
On the 20th (local time), The Information, a U.S. IT specialized media outlet, reported that the perception is spreading in the startup industry that products can be developed with only a small number of 'top-tier' engineers as AI replaces a significant portion of existing development tasks.
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