Every job posting wants a “Full-Stack Engineer.” You know — the mythical creature who codes the backend in Go, designs the frontend in React, configures CI/CD, sets up AWS, tunes SQL queries, and still answers Slack messages in polite English.
It’s the new unicorn fantasy of tech.
The truth is: no one is “full-stack.” Not in the way recruiters imagine. The stack is too deep now — it’s not a ladder, it’s a mine shaft. You can go deep in one layer or hover at the surface of all of them, but not both.
We’ve built an industry that expects impossible breadth at impossible speed. We measure worth by how many tools you can list instead of how well you understand one. But mastery isn’t about range — it’s about depth.
Being a good developer isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about knowing enough — and knowing when to ask for help. Collaboration beats omniscience.
The next time someone calls themselves “full-stack,” smile politely. They’re not wrong — just tired.
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