6 Lessons From 6 Years In Big Tech
What Actually Matters for Career Growth
This week is my 6th year anniversary at Big Tech. Six years ago, I showed up on day one feeling like I didn’t belong. Looking back now, that feeling taught me more about succeeding in Big Tech than any technical skill ever could.
Here are the six lessons that shaped my journey so far and what I wish I’d known on day one:
Imposter syndrome never goes away—and that’s okay
Say no often and ruthlessly prioritize
Scale your impact by thinking big
Visibility requires intentionality
Internal networks are your superpower
You grow faster by helping others grow
1. Imposter Syndrome Never Goes Away (And That’s Actually OK)
Surrounded by incredibly talented people, I often felt like I didn’t belong. Over time, I realized that feeling is universal, even among the most senior leaders. The difference isn’t eliminating self-doubt—it’s not letting it paralyze you. Everyone is figuring it out as they go.
I’ll never forget the orientation session. A room full of new Solutions Architects, all incredibly smart, all trying to look confident. Then someone asked the question we were all thinking: “What do you do when a customer asks something you don’t know?”
The experienced SA smiled. “You say ‘I don’t know, but let me check and get back to you.’ Then you follow up properly.”
Before anyone could relax, another voice piped up: “But how many times in one meeting can we say that?”
The room erupted in nervous laughter. In that moment, we all realized we were going through the same thing. We all felt like we’d somehow slipped through the hiring process. We all thought we were the only imposters in a room full of legitimate experts.
I kept telling myself the feeling would fade after a few months. Maybe a year. It didn’t.
Two and a half years in, I got promoted to Principal. Everyone else saw it as validation of great work. Me? I looked at other Principals and wondered: Am I as smart as they are? Am I making enough impact to truly be at this level?
Here’s what I’ve learned: Imposter syndrome doesn’t go away. Even the most senior leaders feel it. The difference isn’t in eliminating self-doubt—it’s in not letting it paralyze you. Everyone is figuring it out as they go.
And here’s the counterintuitive part: that persistent self-doubt? It’s actually kept me sharp. It’s pushed me to learn more, do better, and never coast on past achievements. The key is channeling it into drive rather than letting it become fear.
2. Say No Often and Ruthlessly Prioritize
In an environment where everyone seems brilliant and opportunities are endless, saying yes to everything leads to burnout and mediocrity. Learning when to say No when to decline meetings, and when to step back from rabbit holes has been critical. Protecting time for what truly matters—deep work, strategic thinking, high-impact projects—is what separates good performers from great ones.
Year one, I was on a mission to prove I belonged. I said yes to everything. Every project, every meeting, every “quick favor.” I thought that’s what smart people did—they handled it all.
I was wrong.
The smartest people I’ve worked with do the opposite. They prioritize ruthlessly.
I see this pattern repeat with almost every new hire. Everyone feels like others are smarter, so they take on more work to prove themselves. It becomes a vicious cycle: take on too much → can’t complete it well → feel like you need to prove yourself more → take on even more.
The best performers flip this script. They focus on important work and complete it excellently. This builds their reputation, which leads to more opportunities, which they again selectively choose from. It’s a virtuous cycle.
Your calendar will fill itself with other people’s priorities if you let it. Guard your time like your career depends on it. Because it does.
3. Scale Your Impact by Thinking Big
Learning to identify problems worth solving at scale—projects that can 10x impact rather than improve by 10%—became a career accelerator. The biggest opportunities come from thinking beyond your immediate scope. When you prioritize important stuff , you pick up project that 10X your impact.
One of the best pieces of advice I received came from a manager early in my journey: “If you want to get to the next level, split your time 50-50. Fifty percent on your current responsibilities, fifty percent on scale activities.”
Great advice. But how do you actually implement it?
Here’s the framework that worked for me—I call it “10x Your Impact”:
Know what your company is betting on (the big priorities, not the busy work)
Spot the strategic initiatives that are moving those bets forward
Figure out who’s leading those initiatives
Start conversations about where you could add real value
Deliver work that makes a difference to the success of those initiatives
Rinse and repeat until it becomes second nature
The biggest opportunities in Big Tech come from thinking beyond your immediate scope. Your day-to-day work keeps you at your current level. Scale activities get you to the next one.
Don’t just ask “What needs to get done?” Ask “What would move the needle for thousands of customers?”
4. Visibility Requires Intentionality
Great work in a corner that no one sees doesn’t advance your career. Learning to document, share, and articulate impact isn’t bragging—it’s essential.
Most people think their work will speak for itself. They believe their manager would naturally see everything they were doing and advocate for them accordingly.
Wrong on both counts.
First, your manager can’t advocate for what they don’t know about. They have multiple reportees and plenty on their own plate. It’s your responsibility—not theirs—to keep them updated on the great work you’re doing.
Second, advocacy from your manager alone won’t accelerate your career. You need other stakeholders who can vouch for your work. Your impact needs to be visible across the organization.
Now, this is a double-edged sword. You’ll encounter people who do less but make more noise about their achievements. In my experience, that doesn’t work long-term. People see through it.
Both are important: doing great work AND publicizing it. One without the other rarely gets results.
Invisibility is a career killer, even for the most talented people.
5. Internal Networks Are Your Superpower
Investing in relationships across the organization—not just up and down—has been the multiplier for everything I’ve accomplished.
Big Tech companies are called “Big Tech” for a reason. They’re BIG.
There are product teams, engineering teams, sales teams, marketing teams, operational teams, and dozens of other functions. Having relationships across all of them helps in ways you can’t initially imagine.
The right conversation with someone three teams over can unblock months of work. A connection in a different department can open doors you didn’t know existed. A peer relationship can evolve into a collaboration that multiplies both your impacts.
Cross-functional fluency has opened more doors for me than any single technical skill.
The multiplier effect is real. When you need to ship something that requires buy-in from five different teams, those relationships make the difference between weeks of negotiation and a few quick conversations.
Start building your network before you need it. Grab coffee with people doing interesting work. Learn what challenges other teams face. Offer help without expecting immediate returns.
Your network isn’t just who you know—it’s who knows what you’re capable of.
6. You Grow Faster by Helping Others Grow
Mentoring, unblocking teammates, and sharing knowledge compounds in ways individual contributions never do. Your career trajectory isn’t just about what you build—it’s about the capabilities you help create around you.
Mentoring has always been close to my heart, and as many of you know, that led me to found BeSA (Become a Solutions Architect), a free mentoring initiative to help people excel in their cloud careers. What I didn’t expect was how much it would boost my career in ways I never imagined.
The people who accelerate fastest in Big Tech are the ones who make everyone around them better.
This is especially true as you move to more senior levels. The expectations shift from individual excellence to force multiplication. Can you scale yourself through others? Can you elevate the entire team’s capabilities?
Start this habit early. It pays dividends you can’t immediately see.
Looking Forward
Six years in, I’m still learning. Still feeling that occasional twinge of imposter syndrome. Still saying no to good opportunities to protect time for great ones. Still building relationships and helping others grow.
To everyone navigating their own Big Tech journey: What lessons have shaped your career? What do you wish you’d known earlier?
I’d love to hear your stories.
So true..."Invisibility is a career killer, even for the most talented people."
Thanks for this amazing post Mr Rao.
Excellent article!!