Dunning-Kruger Effect
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
The Dunning-Kruger effect is when beginners think they know everything and experts think they know nothing. That junior who just finished a bootcamp and wants to rewrite the whole system? Classic Dunning-Kruger. The senior who says 'I still have so much to learn'? Also Dunning-Kruger, just the other side.
Real Talk
A cognitive bias where people with limited competence overestimate their abilities, while highly competent individuals tend to underestimate theirs. In software, this manifests as novices proposing ambitious rewrites and experts expressing uncertainty about well-understood topics. The 'peak of Mount Stupid' to 'valley of despair' progression is a common developer journey.
When You'll Hear This
"Every developer goes through the Dunning-Kruger curve — the key is getting to the other side quickly." / "Dunning-Kruger is why code reviews exist — junior confidence plus senior oversight."
Related Terms
10x Myth
The 10x developer myth claims some programmers are 10 times more productive than others. In reality, the biggest productivity multipliers come from not bui
Code Review
A code review is when another developer reads your code before it gets merged, looking for bugs, bad practices, or anything confusing.
Impostor Syndrome
Impostor syndrome is when every developer feels like a fraud who's about to be exposed. 'They're going to find out I have no idea what I'm doing.' Spoiler: