Software engineers should be a little bit cynical

Software engineer Sean Goedecke defends his career advice, arguing that moderate cynicism helps engineers navigate large tech companies effectively rather than adopting overly idealistic or cynical worldviews. He contends that the "idealist" view of tech companies as corrupted institutions is actually more cynical than his approach, while working within organizational politics to solve meaningful problems serves users better. Goedecke believes moderate cynicism provides necessary protection against extreme perspectives that can harm engineers' careers and effectiveness.