Advice from the Top 1% of Software Engineer | Exaltitude Jean Lee

What are the ways to become a highly valuable person? We had the privilege of interviewing the remarkable Jean Lee, an early engineering member of WhatsApp with over 17 years of invaluable experience in the tech industry. Dive into the interview to uncover the wealth of insights she generously shares, showcasing not only her exceptional skills but also her profound understanding of the industry. Discover the secrets of excelling at work and making a lasting personal impact while collaborating with top teams!
Meet Jean at the youtube channel! : www.youtube.co...
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[@entreprenuership_opportunities]

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[@tongobong1]

Likability and credibility is terrible advice for men. Men should look professional and serious.

[@xst-k6]

Marry me 🥰

[@tongobong1]

@@xst-k6 who me?

[@i_zoru]

"Blindly following trends is a recipe for failure because you are always one step behind" this is the most advice some new people in SE need to hear

[@rwmusic8126]

this is currently happening where I work. It's exhausting to keep up with the trending tech and gives no good results.

[@i_zoru]

well im the opposite, but i still understand how you feel because my friends experienced it too Hype-Driven Development are like this, make you keep up to date, but with the cost of your project gone to shit, problem arises when trending tech u use isn't fitting the project requirement

[@sancho7198]

true

[@TheNextBestGamers]

That makes 0 sense. She wants people that can learn new things without trying out new things. Trying new programming languages and frameworks is the best way for you to learn new concepts and adopt new skills. The worst you can do is code in same language your whole life and never adopt to trends/market.

[@i_zoru]

@@TheNextBestGamers learn new things and blindly following trend is a 2 different thing, this 'new things' doen't have to be the trending one, but the useful one, the one that might fit best to current and future situation, and one more thing, trends and market sometimes can be different, a lot of boot camp says 'B' is the trending langauage, while most company still uses 'A' or need people that have experience with 'A'

[@3am.productions948]

1. " Blindly Following Trends Is Receipe for Failure because you always step behind " 2. "Prioritize the things " 3. " Clearly define what exaclty you want "

[@dawid_dahl]

(4: Be credible and likeable.)

[@FrontTech-qu3pe]

These advices are good but highly vague

[@ReflectionOcean]

- Recognize that influence stems from likability and credibility. (0:31) - Identify and focus on your unique strengths and what you want to be known for. (1:14) - Avoid blindly following trends; prioritize learning and inquisitiveness. (1:56) - Seek a balance between ownership, mentorship, and autonomy in your career. (3:13) - Embrace simplicity and prioritize ruthlessly in your projects and features. (5:01) - Ensure everyone on your team understands the long-term goals and priorities. (6:02) - Understand the impact of money on life and find work that feels meaningful and enjoyable. (8:01)

[@eggcellerate]

Thank you❤

[@InconspicuousChap]

Add lifelong loyalty to the organization to this list, and you get a mafia oath. What's most interesting here is that there is not a single word about the IT (so called "hard") skills. This also matches the mafia HR principle. P.S. I hope this is just her personal projection because neither I nor a number of senior engineers I know wouldn't work in an environment she describes.

[@danwallace213]

😮😮😮😮

[@brajat5538]

​@@InconspicuousChapwhat are hard skills? Isn't she having fun in her work? 😅

[@InconspicuousChap]

@@brajat5538 my comment was not about whether she is having fun (I'd bet she's not), but that her recommendations are no different from those for joining Cosa Nostra. And if you try to follow them to find an engineer job, you going to get into a management hell.

[@mavioz]

This is really refreshing to hear. Simplicity and prioritisation will drive you forward. Especially in this age of bombardment of content.

[@glockiyana2591]

If you wanna be successful in any company you work for, just be HUMBLE, don't try to put others collegues down, ignore or be a duchbag just because your job is "more important" or you have more knowledge, learning how to listen is the first key to skyrocket you as a professional and human being

[@drummermike5150]

Damn...this right here!!!!!

[@Optim40]

You know what that is though ? Common sense.

[@Optim40]

​@@drummermike5150Why you acting like you've never heard this before ? As if Gen Z is schooling you ...nahh 😂

[@AnykeySkywanker]

​@@Optim40why you acting like you already know it while being a douche?

[@gerunkwon2598]

@@AnykeySkywanker bro failed the first advice 💀

[@Trigenetic]

My late friend had both likability and credibility/ability to deliver. She also invented Celery and made a difference in alot of things. RIP my friend. Love you

[@yuiitodoro7791]

wdym inveted celery ?

[@derekdevs]

I started going to college (part time) at 27 and didn’t start coding until 30. Graduated with a degree in CS and have been working in the field for 18 months now. I love what I do and wouldn’t change a thing. If you like solving problems, start coding!

[@ozonzechibudike4293]

Thank you for this advice! I love it cos I am in similar shoes..

[@LizyAd]

Same!

[@Prakhar_Choubey]

In this field you can't survive if you don't change a thing 😅

[@ainac.9714]

I am just starting school again this Fall. Borderline 30 y.o. Lol. What did you do to become successful in school? I don't have a coding experience yet but I got in to a Software Engineering Program.

[@forbidden_lion]

Impossible to get a job. Must be lying

[@hp4985]

I always feared that I was learning the wrong things but now I feel I'll be okay as long as : 1. I have good ethics and morals and can be friendly to others. 2. And have at least learned the coding concepts regardless of language, system, etc. practicing life long learning everyday is very fun but also important to keep my brain healthy enough for long term work Just summarizing for myself

[@EnglishBros]

0:28: Influence in tech: likability and credibility are key for success. 1:48: Success in software engineering requires inquisitiveness, passion, and a focus on core utility features. 3:37: Experiencing rapid growth and learning from experienced founders led to the success of WhatsApp, with a focus on engineering culture. 5:41: Prioritizing user experience and guiding principles in software engineering management. 7:37: The impact of financial opportunities, the importance of finding fulfilling work, and the value of continuous engagement in one's passion.

[@RAHULTMNT100]

shes just lucky she was working in whatsapp. all of this dont mean shit

[@ichigo_kurosaaki]

​@@RAHULTMNT100 She was definetely lucky, but it does take a lot of skill to be a software engineer and write code for a product like WhatsApp. These advice on the other hand is extremely generic, and mostly she's just sharing her experience. I blame whoever was asking questions.

[@UniversalTomato]

What an awesome video and message. As I start my first day of my first software engineering job tomorrow I’ll be sure to reference this video afterwards and then once again every year or so as my journey continues.

[@i_zoru]

good luck buddy, i hope the best of u

[@diwakardayal954]

Hey Maintain daily log wat works what not Might help you in long run All the best

[@shuddafuqup]

Very sensible and straightforward advice and insights. Nothing fancy or unnecessarily contrarian.

[@adamchoe7328]

yes yes. it is all about who I want to be stuck at the airport and deliver for the team. I love your clear point. 100% agree

[@Enterprise-Architect]

One person's success could be another person's failure. Follow your journey than following another person's footstep... Honesty and Discipline is the mantra for success!

[@Medallion702]

love the straightforward message, truly inspirational, i hope to build my career up and this gave me so much energy listening to someone who is passionate successful and driven. cheers.

[@Quan-dr8iy]

She is top 1% for a reason. This video is wholesome 👏👏.

[@saurabhrthakur]

These conversations would really be helpful to future engineers.

[@dadamnmayne]

its hard to find good videos like this these days. she drops fact after fact here.

[@googlygoogle7073]

Wow, this channel is a total gem. I genuinely appreciate the amazing content you guys are delivering

[@csy897]

The bad thing about loving your job so much is that everything else seems boring even the latest and greatest tv show. And when your doctor says you need to reduce stress and work it is extremely difficult.

[@clovemao329]

You earned subs. I can say I like you already when you explain the concept credibility and likeability. Man. I hope to learn more from you. I am an empty sheets 😅

[@kannayao]

As an expat working oversea, I agree with her 100% that the likability and creditability are the main characters we look for when forming the A Team for new project.

[@friendly__drone9352]

Amazing interview! I would work for her in a heartbeat! I wouldn't be good enough to be on her team but still!

[@PreludeSon]

You need to believe in yourself. It'll be a good start

[@rcgonzalezf]

Good interview and refreshing because it wasn't selling us a subscription, good content!

[@Anurag_Hansda]

simplicity with prioritisation. And doing meaningful stuff.

[@autreelodia3456]

Omg, she is so inspiring! 😻 Thank you very much gor this video!

[@lethatsinkin]

Great video, ending was really a cherry on top ❤

[@MrDavidrie]

Thank you so much for this. Loved The idea of what work should mean

[@RomanShchekin]

Breathtaking. Thanks. Gonna think it.

[@beatsieber]

Very valuable video! Thank you!

[@nammi895]

Forgot top 1% software engg. Can Jean Lee give a talk on how to be in top 1% of beautiful women🎉❤ Beauty with brains

[@sanz1996_]

Great video, Having a mentor to look upto makes all the difference. There are great roles in companies outside of big tech gaints.

[@namaefumei]

I teach web dev, I do mentoring and I cant even start to explain the thoughts beginners have about react because or the ecosystem chaos. It's like a maze now. You need to learn sooo much to land a job now. Solid HTML CSS JavaScript AND React isnt enough now. You need nextjs too. Layer over layer.

[@John-3692]

This is a true gem. I recently enjoyed a similar book, and it was a true gem. "Mastering AWS: A Software Engineers Guide" by Nathan Vale

[@Reza1984_]

Honest to the point solod advises, just do one of these and you're set

[@wardsuleiman1640]

Thank you for this amazing video!

[@VKjkd]

Great video. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@jmon24ify]

I really like this video. My only questions are what is the top 1% of software engineers and what identifies someone as top 1%?

[@hugenerretho9151]

Ikr, its just for attention to get a view on this video

[@vivekteega]

This was a great video, thank you

[@kenjimiwa3739]

Great honest video thanks for sharing!

[@Normi19]

What great insights, and video.

[@princebautista]

Leaving a comment so I can get back to this

[@WofWca]

Can you find the list of your comments? In case not, here is a notification for you

[@princebautista]

@@WofWca History (left panel) > Comments (right panel)

[@labsanta]

00:00 Jean Lee's experience at WhatsApp demonstrates the rapid growth potential in tech, highlighting the importance of scalability and user engagement. 00:28 The necessity of balancing likability and credibility for professional influence and securing opportunities is emphasized. 00:57 Importance of identifying and focusing on a specific skill or attribute to stand out in a competitive field. 01:25 The critical role of adaptability and continual learning in software engineering, rather than relying solely on current trends or specific programming languages. 01:53 Encourages a focus on personal passions and strengths to achieve success, rather than following trends. 02:28 Emphasizes the value of prioritizing core functionalities and quality in product development. 02:56 Demonstrates the impact of reliable and functional technology in critical situations, like emergencies. 03:24 Reflects on the importance of balancing autonomy with mentorship in a professional setting. 03:52 Learning from company leadership and observing organizational culture as a way to develop professionally. 04:21 Discusses maintaining a consistent engineering culture during periods of rapid company growth. 04:49 Highlights simplicity as a key principle in engineering and product design. 05:17 The importance of prioritization in achieving simplicity and effectiveness in projects. 05:45Using user-centric design principles, like ensuring accessibility for all types of users. 06:14 The value of setting clear, long-term goals and values for team direction and prioritization. 06:43 Demonstrates how prioritization and simplicity were key to WhatsApp's success. 07:18 Shares personal reflections on the impact of significant corporate events, like acquisitions. 07:49 Discusses the psychological and lifestyle changes following financial independence. 08:19 Emphasizes finding meaningful and enjoyable work for long-term career satisfaction. 08:45 Reflects on redefining personal goals and the meaning of work post-financial success.

[@krysnkem6746]

So much depth

[@AbdullahSajjad-p4p]

Amazing. Share a lot of insights.

[@HSNMSD]

I really love this video and learned to become a part in my computer science journey. Your video help me to keep working on your prioritize task instead work on at the same time on multitasking. Learning new things every day as the technology changes we learn to solve own problems and clients problems. we can solve the problem if we understand the problem well. I also afraid to math a lot but i try to solve math problems as i become engineer. sorry for my bad english actually i'm learning to write in english.

[@naveenimmadisetti1548]

how to be a great engineer to how to spend the life.. awesome video..

[@ryanmckenna2047]

Amazing advice , you inspire me!

[@seunghwanlee1542]

What an informative content ❤ thank you EO

[@KellyOhara]

Excellent!

[@nosh3019]

Wow great and authentic. Thanks

[@aberba]

WhatsApp is now getting complicated by the day with it's design as they move to add in more features. It's a hard problem but they're approaching it wrong in terms of navigation and layout. Channels is messed up.

[@YosmelLGD]

Amazing interview!

[@artificiyal]

Note to self: make app for grandmas in the middle of nowhere.

[@kurihara9023]

In fact why should I be ? The truth is the more genius you are the lot of responsibility you should carry,,in fact you are not going to stand over the corner and watching people die or killing each other right,,and because you don't understand what is love that make you protect the things you care..

[@rickr530]

Oh yeah, it's always fun when a rich person tells you how unimportant money is or the CEO gives a pep talk about how "work should be fun" right before hopping on the corporate jet to conduct business from a ski lodge in the Swiss Alps. I'm sure they're right, though. If I had everything they have then I too would take it for granted.

[@twowheelwanderer98]

don't know,its like hearing your own story through some one else , really liked it .

[@truth-12345.]

1:57 This is what I'm talking about. I've fallen victim from this KZbin channels that were talking about new shiny platforms and frameworks that were not proven yet and will likely bring your project to shit if you relied on it. I was late to realize that they were just including this stuff in their content just for "clout". Don't make this same mistake ever.

[@bawabro]

I never understood what whatsapp engineers were building except for the different UI each year unecessarily.

[@mirror03251]

Thank you. Very informative!

[@denisnasyrtdinov6796]

With all due respect I think there is a little value in this video. The speaker describes one particular product with certain core values that might be not relevant to your personal experience. Not every company gets acquired enabling you to cash out and to tell about things money can’t buy. And the videos title has nothing to do with its contents.

[@martinjochnick8457]

Disagree. Title is “advice from top engineer”, first two minutes she’s says optimize for likability and credibility. Later goes on to say that interviewers care more about ability to learn new languages more than expertise in any single one, since what they use tomorrow may be different than what they use today. Then she says when building, go for depth, reliability, and quality in the core offering over adding gimmicky features. Video is rife with advice for engineers.

[@debbs_io]

The video is highly useful. But the title is definitely off putting

[@pieteb_nl]

She’s top 1% for sure and she has some good general guidance. I liked the vid.

[@vapor4]

Absolutely. You get it.

[@srinivaskalyanpotru6478]

I found the video helpful.

[@ashura5357]

advise me on how to sell people’s personal data

[@barabam-10]

Great tips

[@asdfchaos]

That’s great, but I still don’t like how WhatsApp collects so much user data that ends up being leaked or sold. It’s really not privacy safe.

[@AndrejPodzimek]

The video fails to mention how the “top 1%” is defined and evaluated.

[@forbidden_lion]

Exactly

[@mr.gegenpress7750]

“FAANG” developers

[@tyo007]

whatsapp acquired for $19 billion. If she had like 0.01% of total shares, that would be a grand total of $1.9 million, millionare in overnight..super lucky and of course counting how many days she works there as well..

[@Yuraeka]

Informative contents = )

[@itsworkinprogress]

Wise woman!

[@mementomori8856]

I wish someone just gives me a chance, I just need one.

[@namu5583]

Why chopping the video if you have multiple camera? Why not make it smooth editing?

[@asternoob1842]

her unflinching ability to say ass hole wowww . i like that 😂

[@viky2002]

amazing !

[@haodeng9639]

To join a unicorn at early stage is very lucky, 99% won't give u financial freedom

[@the_derpler]

So basically be talented AND super luck out at being in the right place at the right time? I have friends here in SF that just own homes here and quit their career because they happened to work at Instagram doing normal level work during their facebook acquisition. They are no more or less talented than any of the friends in our engineering crew out here. It's just about lucking out for a huge % of people that make it.

[@tensor5113]

1) Join a unicorn startup before the billion dollar sale or going public 2) Now you're a top 1% genius

[@rickr530]

For reals. All the people taking notes in the comments hoping to imitate success should know that for every one person who ground it out and made it to the top, there are ten thousand more who ground it out and got a 3% raise at the end of the year.

[@joristube]

Unlike 99% of all hiring managers

[@2_Normal_Ted_Junior]

Person vs. employee. Don’t limit yourself so!

[@maintaintechtz]

nice video

[@Dazaer]

Universal Basic Income. How about we make it happen so that everyone can just "redefine the meaning of work" and not only the ones who win out on billion dollar sales?

[@jonathandavis9507]

She just explained what skills work in the video. That doesn’t mean you’ll get acquired by Facebook but it will help in your career.

[@Niko753A]

I am going to get a tattoo saying "Following trends is a guarantee for failure because you will be a step behind" :-)

[@antdr01d]

*always be

[@rverm1000]

credibility and likeability? aren't thing you find at any businesses today. wow where do i start. there are so many bad things about businesses you dont know. i never got the chance to create likeability or credibility. i took up coding 4 years ago to improve my financial situation. having electronics repair/engineering experience and coding experience i thought would help my situation. the problem there are so many businesses that pay so little for electronics its pathetic. it has been improving lately ironically. but my coding experience has helped me in stock market so much more. i am more likely to make more money in the stock market than as a tech!

[@malemaline]

I like lots of different things is the problem.

[@jiggartala2008]

According to programming language being fadeout, she doesn't have any idea that Cobol is still using :))

[@mokoboko2482]

The video is 9 minutes yet all the comments are like summaries with timestamps lol

[@andreypopov6166]

we do not care about the programming language you are using, instead what is matter if you are able to memorise patterns to solve "far away from real life" coding challenges in 15 mins :))))

[@drvizzuals]

Why am i crying? 🥺🥺

[@Y0seo]

Just to put this out there: Your value as a person is not dependent on your economic productivity.

[@Youtubehandles1234]

Title has a typo

[@mathijs9365]

Hiring managers only want ro see experienced in lot of different languages

[@codewithmePuneet]

They might have thrown away the "No gimmick" note, based on the recent bullsh*t updates they have been pumping out.

[@wonderingmechatronics7114]

In other words not focusing on doing the job but pulling the strings to adjust into a work environment, woke engineers.

[@WoWUndad]

Supet senior engineer explains her basic chat app

[@sul-dev]

To sum up what she said in one word: Prioritisation

[@TheUmangTarang]

K, I'm a fan

[@evurohardware]

Take a breather

[@andrej2321]

Right place at the right time. We all know why WhatsApp was successful and this is not it. It was because folks around the world didn’t wanna pay per SMS text.

[@khanra17]

WhatsApp has a terrible codebase. Atleast the Android part

[@sk3ffingtonai]

👏

[@soumo3464]

I guess the poster of "No gimmicks" fell off the wall. And whatsapp is back with channels , payments 🎃

[@AndreasLianos]

that would be a great video is it wasn't excited within an inch of is life.