It's really not hard to be a "10x engineer" if you disregard tech-debt and error-handling. I was part of a very productive, complementary duo where my partner churned out a lot of code that only catered to the happy path, and I'd clean it up/"productize" it.
I actually enjoy that sort of work, but didn't receive as many accolades as the guy "churning out features quickly", even though he'd break the build and block the entire company at least once a week before I paired up with him.
Once I saw how the sausage is made, I'm a lot more sceptical of the "10x" label, either there's an invisible support system, or the code base had a short half-life. Any other scenario is a set-up for disaster.
I actually enjoy that sort of work, but didn't receive as many accolades as the guy "churning out features quickly", even though he'd break the build and block the entire company at least once a week before I paired up with him.
Once I saw how the sausage is made, I'm a lot more sceptical of the "10x" label, either there's an invisible support system, or the code base had a short half-life. Any other scenario is a set-up for disaster.