Most engineering roles keep you isolated from customers. Valon is the complete opposite. Valon, a Series C fintech modernizing mortgage servicing ($25B market, 150% YoY growth, $100M just raised), is looking for Forward Deployed Engineers who thrive at the intersection of complex technical problems and real customer needs and is willing to pay $230,000+ for talent.
I used to think imposter syndrome was this terrible thing holding me back. That nagging voice telling me "you don't belong here" or “they're going to figure out you have no idea what you're doing” felt like my biggest enemy, especially during my early days at Google.
But I've come to realize something that might sound crazy: imposter syndrome has actually been one of my greatest assets as a software engineer.
I know that sounds counterintuitive. When you're sitting in a meeting feeling like everyone else knows something you don't, or when you're about to submit a pull request convinced it's going to expose how little you actually know, it doesn't feel like a superpower. Trust me, I've been there more times than I can count.
But here's what I've learned after years in this industry—the engineers who struggle with imposter syndrome often become the strongest developers on their teams. And there are some very real reasons why.
It Makes You Work Harder (And That's Actually Good)
When you doubt your abilities, you naturally put in extra effort. While your colleagues might skim through documentation, you read it twice. While others might ship their first solution, you refactor and optimize.
I used to think this was inefficient. Why was I spending so much time on things that seemed to come naturally to everyone else? But that “extra” work was actually building my foundation. Those late nights reading through codebases, those weekends practicing algorithms I wasn't sure I understood; they weren't wasted time. They were investments.
The doubt forces you to truly understand what you're building instead of just copying and pasting solutions. And in a field that's constantly evolving, that deep understanding becomes invaluable. I've seen this play out countless times; the engineer who felt like they needed to prove themselves ends up knowing the codebase better than anyone else on the team.
It Prevents Complacency
Here's something I've noticed about engineers who never experience imposter syndrome: they sometimes stop growing. When you're absolutely certain you know everything, you stop asking questions. You stop exploring new approaches. You get comfortable.
Imposter syndrome keeps you hungry. It makes you uncomfortable with “good enough” because you're always wondering if there's a better way. That discomfort is what pushes you to stay current with new technologies, to question established patterns, and to keep improving.
DevLaunch Vault (Discount) - Access our entire library of courses, coaching call recordings, and proven roadmaps that have helped developers land jobs at top tech companies (last week, a DevLaunch student landed a $240,000+ Senior Software Engineering offer).
I've seen brilliant engineers plateau because they became too confident in their abilities. Meanwhile, the engineers who always felt like they needed to prove themselves kept climbing. They're the ones who volunteer for the challenging projects, who dive deep into new frameworks, who aren't satisfied with surface-level understanding.
It Forces You to Seek Feedback Early and Often
When you're worried about your performance, you don't wait for quarterly reviews to find out how you're doing. You actively seek feedback from peers, mentors, and managers. You ask questions in code reviews. You admit when you don't understand something.
This is actually a massive competitive advantage. While confident engineers might struggle in isolation for days before asking for help, those dealing with imposter syndrome reach out sooner but not before working at the problem on their own. They build stronger relationships with their teammates. They learn faster because they're not afraid to expose their knowledge gaps.
Some of my best professional relationships started with me asking what I thought were “stupid” questions. Those questions led to conversations, which led to mentorship, which led to opportunities I never would have had if I'd pretended to know everything.
The Ultimate Realization
Here's the plot twist that took me years to understand: even if you were an “imposter,” so what?
Let's say the worst-case scenario is true. Let's say you somehow fooled everyone into thinking you're competent. What exactly is the consequence? You get paid to learn one of the most valuable skills in the world? You get to work on interesting problems while surrounded by smart people who can help teach you?
That sounds like winning to me.
The truth is, we're all learning as we go. The senior engineer you admire? They're googling basic syntax. The tech lead who seems to have all the answers? They're still learning just like you. The difference isn't knowledge, it's confidence in their ability to figure things out.
And that's exactly what imposter syndrome has been training you to do all along.
The Real Superpower
Imposter syndrome isn't about being fake or inadequate. It's about being aware of how much you don't know and that awareness is actually wisdom. It keeps you curious, humble, and growth-oriented.
The engineers I most respect aren't the ones who never doubt themselves. They're the ones who channel their doubts into continuous improvement. They use uncertainty as fuel rather than letting it paralyze them.
So the next time that voice in your head says “I don't belong here,” try responding with “Not yet, but I'm working on it.” Because that work, that constant striving to be better, is what will ultimately make you belong anywhere you want to be.
The beautiful thing is that once you realize this, imposter syndrome transforms from something that holds you back into something that propels you forward. It becomes less about fear and more about fuel.
Where you can find me online:
Drop a like ❤️ and comment below if you made it to the end of the article.
If you’re struggling to prepare for technical interviews sign up for the platform I created to help 30,000+ people learn how to pass coding interviews — The Daily Byte. Our subscribers have received offers from great companies like Google, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Uber, Citadel, and many more.
Love this! Way to frame a very human problem err... strength!