The cure for Imposter Syndrome

I’m trying to remember... but I don’t think I’ve ever written much about imposter syndrome in the last 2 years of my newsletter. It’s a common experience for every developer, sure... but I just didn’t have anything interesting to say about it in all of that time.

UNTIL TODAY!!

That’s right, boys and girls. Get your notebooks and pens out, because I have finally, after all this time, crafted a nuanced take on an aspect of imposter syndrome I’ve never seen anybody talk about before. For you see...

I believe there are different levels of imposter syndrome. And each level has a different cause and a solution to it.

I’ve noticed these feelings in myself and how they’ve transformed throughout the years. For example, the feeling of imposter syndrome I had as a junior developer is not the same I had as a senior. Nor when I switched to more of a full-stack role either. They were all different... But why?

Well, that’s because in each stage of my life and my role, different factors and levers changed my feelings over time. And if you had to, right now, put a gun to my head and force me to tell you what those were, I’d pick these three.

It depends on:

1) Your level of growth mindset (Belief that anybody, including you, can learn the relevant skills with enough time)

2) Trust in yourself and your ability to learn.

3) How far removed you currently are from your comfort zone

There’s probably more, but these three are good enough for this email. What I want to convey with these is that imposter syndrome is sort of a weird multi-spectrum. It’s a reflection of your beliefs, your capabilities, the situation you find yourself in, and what you know about the world.

That’s why when we talk about imposter syndrome, it’s used so much more like an umbrella term for a mishmash of different feelings. Yes, they are all valid, and yes, they all might make you feel like an imposter — but the reasons why can change so much depending on just these three factors!

It’s also why when I hear senior devs talk about imposter syndrome and how “it’s normal for everybody to feel like that”, it can be technically true, but doesn’t really help solve the underlying issue everybody suffers through.

Which is why my theory for imposter syndrome having levels is completely foolproof, without any errors, and solves every issue all devs have with feeling like an imposter! 😜

Well... maybe not a cure for everything. More realistically, there are probably situations where imposter syndrome is extremely healthy and means you’re expanding your comfort zone (factor #3).

But also situations where you might have a negative self-image of yourself, believe you are incapable of great things, and that your success came mostly from things like luck (factor #1).

What’s helpful about this little “framework” is that you can identify which aspect you are weak on and focus on working through that. The truth is, there is a big psychological aspect to this feeling, and it’s what every dev has to work through to help minimize it as much as possible.

Exceptional Frontend is a newsletter that continually helps devs expand their comfort zone by focusing on the non-tech side of your career. It’s good vibes all around as you get twice-a-week emails on how to transfer your techie skills into money-making ones that help you pay the bills!

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