If you ask tech workers what people misunderstand about working in their industry, they'll tell you — plenty. In interviews with Business Insider, professionals from Amazon, Google, Snap, and Nike challenged common assumptions. Here's what they want you to know.
My job is about much more than coding
Priyanka Devi Ramesh, a business intelligence engineer at Amazon, says: "One of the biggest misconceptions is that working in tech is all about coding. People assume if you work in tech, you sit in front of a screen writing code all day. But my role is deeply rooted in understanding the business, talking to stakeholders, cleaning messy data, and telling stories through dashboards."
Key takeaway: Tech is far more cross-functional and people-oriented than most outsiders realize.
The perks are real. So is the pressure.
Sreeja Apparaju, a machine learning engineer at Snap, says: "One misconception is that tech jobs are all hoodies, ping pong tables, and a four-hour workday. The perks are real, but they exist alongside the genuine intensity of on-call rotations, launch crunches, performance reviews, and the constant pressure to keep learning."
Key takeaway: The work is not purely solitary; half of it is understanding users, negotiating priorities, and communicating clearly.
AI can't do your thinking for you
Udit Mehrotra, head of product at Amazon, says: "The biggest misconception right now is that you can outsource your thinking to AI. The quality of what comes out is almost entirely determined by the quality of thinking you put in. Garbage in, garbage out, except now it's faster and looks more polished."
Key takeaway: AI is a tool, not a replacement for critical thinking.
The bar keeps getting higher
Mike Kostersitz, senior director of product management at Nike, says: "A common misconception is that tech workers are coasting — making a lot of money for very little work because AI does the rest. That gets it backwards. AI doesn't hand you free time; it removes the repetitive work that used to crowd out the important work. The job hasn't gotten easier — the bar has gotten higher."
Key takeaway: Tech workers are expected to think more clearly, decide faster, and lead through more change than ever before.
Tech is much bigger than software engineering
Prerit Pathak, a security engineer at Google, says: "Many people mistakenly believe that being a 'tech employee' is synonymous with being a software engineer. The reality is that technology is a vast ecosystem of roles like Product Management, UI/UX Design, Data Science, and Cybersecurity."
Key takeaway: Tech roles are diverse, and specialists act as architects, maintainers, and protectors of the digital world.
Big Tech isn't the only path
Iren Azra Zou, a software engineer at the startup Double Nickel, says: "Some people in tech over-focus on working at the most famous tech companies. Those can be great, but they're not the only path. There are countless small and mid-sized companies doing interesting, meaningful work."
Key takeaway: Don't limit yourself to Big Tech; the industry is full of diverse opportunities.
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