I’m going to say something that might sound controversial, but I promise you it comes from a place of solidarity: The term "Imposter Syndrome" has ...
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I think labelling some of your examples as "Impostor Syndrome" is using the term with an overextended remit. Impostor Syndrome is a form of anxiety, but being anxious due to circumstances is not necessarily Impostor Syndrome.
For me, I'd say I suffer from impostor syndrome in moments when I find it hard to act or make a decision, due to my feeling that others who would generally make such decisions are a lot more competent. It's a potential fallacy in which I attribute to others a heightened competence. Sometimes this is right; I'd have no relevant say in which wire to cut when defusing a bomb. That said, if there were no other choice, I'd have to do my best logically.
I think that it particularly affects developers due to some toxic elements in our culture where someone will tell you you're an idiot for using a particular pattern or framework. At the end of the day, our job is to deliver solutions to problems that work in the real world, for our actual customers, not strive for some kind of academic perfection.
If crap culture is making people anxious then it needs addressing, but I do believe that exercises that help us make decisions and be comfortable with them, given the tools and knowledge at our disposal, is helpful.
Edit: I also think a lot of toxicity comes from a demand to demonstrate excellence and to stand above others - I'd rather development be a team sport myself.
Mike, I appreciate this deeply insightful perspective. You are entirely correct that I generalized in my examples, and I thank you for returning the definition to its essence: the anxiety arising from mistakenly assigning greater competence to others
Your point is crucial: there's a difference between the clinical 'Imposter Phenomenon' (the internal feeling of fraudulence despite evidence) and the rational anxiety caused by external pressures like toxic culture or lack of mentorship. My argument is that in our industry, we often misdiagnose the latter as the former. We tell the developer who is anxious because of vague requirements or a hostile code review that they have a 'syndrome,' when in fact, their anxiety is a justified response to a bad environment.
You've perfectly identified the heart of the issue: 'If crap culture is making people anxious, then it needs addressing.' That's the systemic change I'm advocating for. The 'exercises' you mention are vital for the internal, true imposter feelings, but they become a band-aid when the problem is a broken arm. Thank you for adding this critical layer to the conversation.
Impostor syndrome is not a term that only is used in IT. So I don't think it is going to change soon.
Out of curiosity I asked an AI who coined the term. And it comes from a 1978 paper called "The Impostor Phenomenon: Experiences of Incompetence in High‑Achieving Women." by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes.
But after all that, I agree with the ideas in this post.
That's a fantastic historical context—thank you for sharing it. You are absolutely correct. The term originated from Clance and Imes's work with high-achieving women, and it's a concept that spans many fields, not just IT.
This actually strengthens the argument for being more precise in our use of the term. Because it's a universal psychological phenomenon, we often import it into tech as a catch-all explanation for any feeling of doubt or anxiety. But the specific triggers in our industry—blazingly fast change, complex legacy systems, and often-toxic online discourse—are unique. By recognizing that the symptoms can be caused by these specific systemic issues, not just the universal internal phenomenon, we can create better, more targeted solutions for our community.
I'm not suggesting we change the term globally, but rather that we in the tech industry become more discerning in how we apply it. Thank you for bringing that crucial academic background into the discussion.
"I'm in a steep learning phase."
"My workplace lacks psychological safety."
"I am being held to an unrealistic standard."
While its true that Imposter Syndrome is attributed to more than it should be, I feel the most apt diagnosis involves your self worth, not really how other people impact you.
If you feel as though you have benefits that you don't deserve, if you feel that you receive accolades that should be better spent on others, or if your struggles with the next task makes your past work fall into background noise, everyone has varying degrees of Imposter Syndrome. The best thing to do is to do a self-analysis on the things you've accomplished and where you want to be, and strive to make it happen. I feel that when I feel demotivated, the best thing to do is to take a break, invest in decompressing the mind, and coming back revitalized.
Imposter Syndrome is easier to feel when you're burnt out, or when the environmental factors are weighing down on you.
I feel the syndrome itself is internal, whereas the triggers and risk factors are a mix of internal and external.
Justin, what a fantastic breakdown. You're absolutely right that the core feeling is internal—the struggle to internalise our own wins. Your point about burnout being a major trigger is the key that connects our perspectives! 🗝️
My goal is to ensure we don't only look inward. Before we prescribe 'build more self-confidence', we should diagnose 'is the environment burning this person out?' Your strategy of self-analysis and communication is the perfect tool for the internal side of the fight. Thanks for this thoughtful contribution!
Totally agree with your perspective. 👏 I think it’s really important, though, to remember that impostor syndrome is a broader concept. Sometimes a developer (or anyone, really) can be respected, trusted for their input, objectively doing great work — and still feel, deep down, that they’re not good enough, that the praise they get is undeserved, and that they’re one step away from being “found out.”
That’s the version of impostor syndrome I believe is still worth addressing — not to “fix” the person, but to help them unlock their full potential without the constant fear of not being enough. The systemic issues you mentioned are real, and shifting the environment matters a lot. But so does supporting people in overcoming that internalized self-doubt when it does happen, even in healthy environments.
Both angles can coexist — and both deserve attention.
Sylwia, this is a wonderfully even and essential viewpoint. Thank you very much. You are entirely right. I may have swung the pendulum too far in the other direction to make a point.
The internal version of imposter syndrome—that deep-seated, sometimes irrational voice of self-doubt that persists even in healthy environments—is very real and deserves compassion and support. It would be a grave error to ignore that individuals may need tools and strategies to 'build self-trust', as you said.
My goal was not to dismiss that internal struggle but to argue that we must first rule out the systemic and environmental factors before concluding it's solely an internal issue. As you so perfectly state, 'Both angles can coexist—and both deserve attention.'
We need to create systems that don't cause these feelings while also supporting individuals who experience them regardless. Thank you for adding this essential layer of nuance and ensuring the conversation is inclusive of both realities ⚖️.
This is a solid take — and honestly, overdue.
The term “imposter syndrome” has been recycled so many times that it’s lost the nuance of what people are actually experiencing. I like your reframing: it’s often a context issue, not a confidence issue.
I’ve seen the same pattern in tech teams I’ve worked with — smart, capable engineers doubting themselves because the environment is chaotic, inconsistent, or quietly competitive. That’s not a mental condition; that’s a systemic feedback loop that keeps reproducing burnout.
The part that resonates most for me is your point about language. Once we stop calling it a “syndrome,” we stop blaming the individual and start fixing the architecture — communication, onboarding, mentorship, culture.
Still, as Sylwia mentioned, there is an internal version worth addressing — those quiet voices of self-doubt that remain even in healthy teams. I think both realities coexist:
Internal: building self-trust and reflection habits
External: building safer, saner systems
Call it whatever we want, but yeah — it’s not a syndrome when the system is the problem.
Thank you! You've absolutely nailed the summary: 'It’s often a context issue, not a confidence issue.' And 'systemic feedback loop that keeps reproducing burnout' – oof, that's the painful truth right there. Let's fix the architecture, not just the occupant. 🙌
Nice and concise breakdown love how you included both single and multi-thread numbers with context. The takeaway about EX44’s price to performance sweet spot is super useful for anyone balancing budget and compute.
This is such a wonderful article. I was told a long time ago "the only people you actually need to watch out for are the people who don't have imposter syndrome." I think an awareness and humility is so important in our very complex field.