Ex-Meta staffer nicknamed 'coding machine' says the best engineers aren't on LinkedIn — but they're special cases (www.businessinsider.com)

Michael Novati, a former principal software engineer at Meta, revealed in a recent podcast that the most talented engineers are often absent from platforms like LinkedIn, challenging the typical narrative of online personal branding in tech. He argues that these top-tier professionals, whom he refers to as the "$100 million engineers," prefer to shun public visibility, relying instead on exclusive recruitment networks and personal relationships cultivated over time. This reinforces a significant aspect of the tech recruiting landscape, especially in the AI sector, where competition for talent is fierce and companies like Meta and OpenAI actively seek to poach top engineers. Novati's insights shed light on the covert dynamics of tech recruitment, where high-profile companies leverage established connections rather than conventional job advertising. He highlights the importance of in-person interactions, such as campus recruiting at prestigious universities, which foster relationships between engineers and recruiters. While his perspective underscores a unique approach by elite engineers, Novati cautions that this strategy is not universally applicable; he emphasizes that deleting LinkedIn won’t guarantee job offers for most engineers. The discussion illustrates a shift in how coveted talent is identified and approached in a rapidly evolving hiring environment, particularly as the AI field continues to grow in complexity and demand.