peers, not superiors

You can and should learn from other people.

That’s one of the main benefits of networking. Getting people to share their experience and ideas is one of the best ways to make a good impression on them, but it’s also one of the best ways to broaden your own perspective.

That doesn’t mean you should engage with them as anything other than a peer.

People will talk to you differently if you act like they’re superior to you. If you ask questions from a position of pure ignorance.

Present yourself as a peer. You might not understand their field or their industry, but you understand more than you think. You’re coming from a position of experience. Don’t discount that.

Even if you’re talking to a CEO of some wildly successful startup and you’re an intermediate developer, you know in general how their product was built. You probably know more about the impacts of technical debt or overengineering than he or she does. Even if the conversation never goes there, having the mindset that you have things to contribute to the discussion will shape how you ask questions and conduct yourself.

You are a peer to everyone. No one is your superior. Learn from others, but don’t forget that they can learn from you too.

— Clark