Feeling Like an Impostor? Even DHH Does—And That’s Okay

Let's start with a little story about David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH), the mastermind behind Ruby on Rails, a framework that has powered countless web applications. The guy's a legend, right? Well, one day, DHH took to Twitter and dropped a truth bomb:

“Hello, my name is David. I would fail to write bubble sort on a whiteboard. I look code up on the internet all the time. I don’t do riddles.”

Wait, what? DHH, a guy who’s built tools that have literally shaped the modern web, is saying he’d bomb one of those typical whiteboard coding interviews? If that doesn’t make you do a double-take, I don’t know what will.

Here’s the thing: the way we often evaluate programmers in job interviews can feel miles away from what we actually do on the job. You know, the daily grind of coding, debugging, and Googling—let’s not kid ourselves, we all do it! Yet, somehow, we’re expected to walk into an interview and pull off these algorithmic gymnastics like it’s nothing.

This disconnect can be super frustrating, especially when you’re starting out.

You might think, “If I can’t nail this binary tree problem on the spot, am I even a real programmer?” Trust me, you’re not alone. This kind of pressure doesn’t just hit beginners; it can creep up on seasoned developers too. You might have a decade of experience under your belt, but those pesky feelings of not being good enough—hello, Impostor Syndrome—can still come knocking.

But here’s the truth: your worth as a developer isn’t defined by how well you can reverse a linked list in front of a hiring manager. It’s about how you solve real-world problems, build things that work, and keep learning as you go. DHH’s tweet is a reminder that even the best of the best don’t have all the answers off the top of their heads—and that’s perfectly fine.

So, what’s the takeaway here?

Know your value. Acknowledge the skills and experience you bring to the table. And sure, keep studying and practicing—there’s always something new to learn in this field. But don’t let the fear of not measuring up in some artificial interview setting get you down.

And if you want to get better at interviews, well, the best way is to do more interviews. It’s like building muscle—each time you flex those coding muscles under pressure, you get a little stronger. So, apply for jobs, even if they seem out of reach. Treat each interview as a learning experience, and before you know it, you’ll walk into that room (or Zoom call) with confidence.

At the end of the day, remember: Even DHH Googles code. You’re doing just fine.