The Peterman Pod GoogleX Chief Scientist On Imposter Syndrome, Career Growth, Project Taste
Jul 18, 2025
Carey Nachenberg, Chief Scientist at GoogleX and a cybersecurity expert, shares his remarkable career journey from intern to innovator. He opens up about overcoming imposter syndrome and the significance of interpersonal skills over intelligence in tech. Carey delves into his experiences with complex malware like Stuxnet and developing the cybersecurity project Backstory. He also discusses the challenges of gaining credit in collaborative work and how AI is reshaping education for his students. A blend of personal growth and professional wisdom!
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Career Growth at Symantec
- Carey Nachenberg rose from first intern to senior most engineer at Symantec over many years.
- He chose projects independently, focusing on impactful work rather than assigned tasks.
Project Impact Fuels Growth
- Success comes from choosing projects with significant business impact, not just technical difficulty.
- Filling gaps that no one else addresses leads to career advancement.
Claim Your Credit Strategically
- Always document your contributions and measurable results of projects for promotions.
- Clearly claim credit for your own work without exaggeration to maintain credibility.