Engineers at big tech companies often expect credit to flow naturally from good work, but that's not how it works. Credit and blame are distributed through informal networks of trusted engineers that managers rely on for assessments. The key insight is that taking credit proactively (via internal posts, 1:1s) is necessary, but hoarding credit is counterproductive. Sharing credit with peers gives them incentive to advocate for your work, turns individual projects into group wins, and distributes blame risk. Conversely, solo projects with concentrated credit become lightning rods for blame when things go wrong. The optimal strategy is to self-promote enough to be visible while generously crediting collaborators to build a network of advocates.
