Got into BigTech but.. struggling to tell my wife

ColonWriteQuit — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 15:59:50 +0000

I got into BigTech, but I'm struggling with how to tell my wife the truth.

TL;DR: Landed a BigTech job, feeling a mix of pride and shame because I used AI to get through.

No advice, please. Maybe just a pat on the back or a dose of reality.

Here's what happened: Last year, I decided to aim for a BigTech role. I have years of real experience—built systems, deployed to production, fixed bugs that crashed major clients, and optimized code that saved my last company thousands. But LeetCode? I'm terrible at it.

Those algorithms feel pointless, like memorizing obscure system calls just for interviews. I failed multiple screenings because of it.

A Brazilian friend told me about an app similar to Cluely called Perssua, built by another Brazilian. He mentioned that because I said that I was worried an interviewer might ask me to share my Activity Monitor to check for Cluely, so I gave the Brazilian guy’s app a shot. And it worked... I passed the final interview lol

I told my wife, and she came home overjoyed, hugging me, calling family, saying I'd landed the "dream job." Meanwhile, I'm wondering if I should admit I only got through because an app carried me.

Third week at work now, trying to find a team, but feeling a bit of impostor syndrome—even though I know my practical experience is solid.

My friends say, "You must be amazing at algorithms," and I just smile, thinking, "If you only knew…"

DEV Community: ColonWriteQuit

Got into BigTech but.. struggling to tell my wife