--- title: Fast and slow ways to improve your reputation | daily.dev description: Getting assigned important projects at tech companies requires a reputation, but building that reputation often requires having already worked on important... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/fast-and-slow-ways-to-improve-your-reputation-5lq36mqxp twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Fast and slow ways to improve your reputation | daily.dev og:description: Getting assigned important projects at tech companies requires a reputation, but building that reputation often requires having already worked on important... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/fast-and-slow-ways-to-improve-your-reputation-5lq36mqxp og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/5lQ36MQXP.png og:image:alt: Fast and slow ways to improve your reputation og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Fast and slow ways to improve your reputation **[sean goedecke](https://daily.dev/sources/seangoedecke)** · 7 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary Getting assigned important projects at tech companies requires a reputation, but building that reputation often requires having already worked on important projects. Managers hand high-visibility work to proven performers because a failed project hurts the manager's own reputation more than it helps a newcomer's. Since average manager tenure in big tech is only a couple of years, it is rational for managers to take long-term risks to mitigate short-term risks of project failure. The slow fix is reliably shipping small, low-risk work to earn trust over time. Faster but riskier options include building a relationship with your skip-level manager, starting your own side projects, or impressing fellow engineers who then vouch for you to the manager. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### Why does my manager keep giving important projects to the same senior engineer instead of me? Managers prioritize their own reputation for delivering results over giving new engineers growth opportunities, so they hand high-visibility projects to whoever has already proven reliable. Since average manager tenure in big tech is only about a couple of years, it is rational for a manager to take on long-term team risk to avoid short-term project failure on their own watch. _Developers navigating this exact dynamic compare notes on career strategy through daily.dev._ ### How can I get assigned bigger projects faster without waiting years to build a track record? Three faster, riskier paths exist: build a relationship with your skip-level manager so they push your name forward, create your own 'side bets' by independently identifying and executing projects nobody assigned you, or impress engineering colleagues enough that they vouch for you to your manager. Each carries risk, such as wasted effort on side bets or managers resenting unsanctioned work. _Engineers weighing fast versus slow reputation-building tactics often trade strategies on daily.dev._ ### What is the slow, reliable way to build a reputation as a software engineer at a big tech company? Focus on reliably shipping small, low-risk pieces of work, communicate that track record to your manager and team, then use that trust to earn slightly higher-risk assignments while avoiding mistakes that damage your perceived reliability. Over months or years this builds a reputation that makes you a safe choice for important projects. _daily.dev surfaces career growth essays like this for engineers plotting their next promotion._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [Giving and taking credit in big tech companies](https://daily.dev/posts/giving-and-taking-credit-in-big-tech-companies-dqebxgc1c) · Tech Lead Digest · 1 upvotes · 0 comments - [Engineers do get promoted for writing simple code](https://daily.dev/posts/engineers-do-get-promoted-for-writing-simple-code-qcmzigw6w) · sean goedecke · 38 upvotes · 6 comments - [How to advance a tech career without managing](https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-advance-a-tech-career-without-managing-cm5qwrip2) · InfoWorld · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#career](https://daily.dev/tags/career), [#leadership](https://daily.dev/tags/leadership) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/fast-and-slow-ways-to-improve-your-reputation-5lq36mqxp) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Fast and slow ways to improve your reputation","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/fast-and-slow-ways-to-improve-your-reputation-5lq36mqxp","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/fast-and-slow-ways-to-improve-your-reputation-5lq36mqxp"},"datePublished":"2026-11-01T00:01:14.547Z","dateModified":"2026-11-01T00:01:40.234Z","description":"Getting assigned important projects at tech companies requires a reputation, but building that reputation often requires having already worked on important...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--HRgLpUt6--/f_auto/v1722860399/public/Placeholder%2003","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--HRgLpUt6--/f_auto/v1722860399/public/Placeholder%2003","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"sean goedecke","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"sean goedecke","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--WNgiZyDx--/f_auto,q_auto/v1765713419/logos/seangoedecke","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/seangoedecke"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/fast-and-slow-ways-to-improve-your-reputation-5lq36mqxp","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":0},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"career,leadership","timeRequired":"PT7M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"sean goedecke","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/seangoedecke"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Fast and slow ways to improve your reputation"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/fast-and-slow-ways-to-improve-your-reputation-5lq36mqxp#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Why does my manager keep giving important projects to the same senior engineer instead of me?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Managers prioritize their own reputation for delivering results over giving new engineers growth opportunities, so they hand high-visibility projects to whoever has already proven reliable. 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