The smartest engineers often make things look simpler, not more complex. That can be hard to recognize until you've seen enough bad complexity.

A few years into your career, you start noticing something subtle.

The people who understand the most often sound the least impressive at first.

They use fewer words.

They make smaller changes.

They explain things in ways that feel obvious once you hear them.

At first, this can feel surprising. You expect the most knowledgeable person in the room to sound the most sophisticated. Instead, they make things look almost simple.

Meanwhile, complexity tends to come from everywhere.

New ideas. New patterns.…