I think this actually does illustrate how the possibility of 10x [performers] is perfectly valid. To build on your example, while it's true that that Lewis Hamilton isn't driving 10 times faster, he has 103 F1 wins while to the average pro driver has zero. Michael Phelps isn't ten time faster than his competition, but he has 23 Olympic gold medals while the average professional swimmer has zero. It gets a bit more convoluted with the positional team sports, but at a glance there are players in the same position, with the same overall career trajectories, who are earning significantly more than 10x their peers.
I don't think people are suggesting that 10x engineers are literally typing ten times faster than their counterparts, the "10x engineer" is someone who gets to complete solutions more efficiently — perhaps even 10 times more efficiently.
> To build on your example, while it's true that that Lewis Hamilton isn't driving 10 times faster, he has 103 F1 wins while to the average pro driver has zero.
Right, I'm not arguing (and I don't think anyone is arguing) that superstars don't exist in every field.
It's the "10x" part that is an annoying exageration. Nobody is an order of magnitue faster/better than other professionals in their field.
But you don't need to be 10x better to be a superstar. Being 1.01x better will do if you can keep it up consistently. That's enough to be always ahead and, except for the occasional error, most often win. It'll get you that 103:0 win ratio.
The consistency is the hard part. Anyone reasonably competent can be 1.01x faster here and there. To be the superstar it's not from being massively faster (as it's not humanly possibly), it's mostly from being very consistent at that 1.01x level.
I think Lewis Hamilton and Phelps — really, any athlete with household name status — are not just one but multiple orders of magnitude better than other professionals in their field.
I agree that the consistency is the hard part. I heard a take on this once that argued "10x" is more of a contingent state than something inherent to an individual, but if someone can consistently outperform their peers labeling them as such doesn't seem at all unfair.
I think this actually does illustrate how the possibility of 10x [performers] is perfectly valid. To build on your example, while it's true that that Lewis Hamilton isn't driving 10 times faster, he has 103 F1 wins while to the average pro driver has zero. Michael Phelps isn't ten time faster than his competition, but he has 23 Olympic gold medals while the average professional swimmer has zero. It gets a bit more convoluted with the positional team sports, but at a glance there are players in the same position, with the same overall career trajectories, who are earning significantly more than 10x their peers.
I don't think people are suggesting that 10x engineers are literally typing ten times faster than their counterparts, the "10x engineer" is someone who gets to complete solutions more efficiently — perhaps even 10 times more efficiently.