February 1, 2026
Who let the wolves out?
Sometimes Your Job Is to Stay the Hell Out of the Way
Bosses, back off? Internet howls over ‘genius coder’ myth
TLDR: Rands says managers should create calm conditions, then let standout engineers (“wolves”) tackle critical problems, citing one coder who built tests instead of features. The comments clash: some cheer craft over AI hype, others call it sanctimonious, lazy, and anti-team, joking that real wolves hunt in packs.
Rands just dropped a management mood bomb: build a calm workplace and then stay out of the way so the “wolves”—his term for ultra-productive engineers—can hunt. He revives his Wolf idea (think “10x engineer,” aka a super-effective coder), and tells a jaw-dropping story of “Richard,” who ignored feature deadlines to secretly build an advanced testing system. The punchline? Rands barely intervened—because the best support was silence.
And the comments? A full moon frenzy. One camp swoons over the vibe, with fans cheering the return of Rands and dunking on “AI slop,” insisting real craftspeople still exist and don’t need micromanaging. Another camp claps back hard: sanctimonious writing, fuzzy thinking, and a managerial cop‑out, summarized as “cool project? Not my job.” The hottest meme: “Wolves work in packs,” roasting the lone‑genius myth and dragging the analogy into National Geographic territory. There’s even a gatekeeping wink—if that opening line hits, this post’s for you; if not, keep scrolling. The drama centers on whether celebrating “wolves” inspires excellence or sidelines teamwork. Verdict? The internet’s split, howling from both hills—alpha‑dev worship vs. actual management, with jokes, claws, and plenty of side‑eye.
Key Points
- •The author reiterates the “Wolf” concept (akin to a 10x engineer) and notes Wolves focus on work, not labels.
- •Leaders should foster engineering-friendly cultures: safe, healthy, low-distraction, and drama-free, without glorifying 10x engineers.
- •Attempts to formalize or title a Wolf-like role failed, alienating real Wolves and creating counterproductive behaviors.
- •Creating a role with defined Wolf responsibilities led to individuals acting with unearned privilege and upsetting teams.
- •An engineer built a testing framework to address code quality; the author offered minimal intervention and raised it in a manager 1:1.