How Evan King Accelerated His Software Engineering Career to Staff by 25 (And What You Can Learn)
Rapid career growth in software engineering isn’t just about early prodigy coding skills or luck — it’s a combination of resilience, smart choices, leadership, and a passion for impact. Evan King, a software engineer who reached staff engineer at Meta (Facebook) by age 25, shares his unique journey, lessons learned, and advice for engineers aspiring to accelerate their careers. This post breaks down the highlights and actionable insights from an in-depth conversation with Evan, along with complementary perspectives.
Early Beginnings: No Need to Be a Prodigy
Evan did not start programming as a toddler or have a family of engineers. Like many, he found computer science challenging in high school — especially surrounded by peers whose parents worked at Microsoft with years of experience. However, persistence and hard work helped him survive AP Computer Science, which laid the groundwork for excelling in college.
Similarly, the co-interviewer only discovered computer science late, switching from electrical engineering to CS in junior year. Their stories prove that you don’t have to be a prodigy to succeed in tech; passion and perseverance matter more.
Key Takeaway:
- Start where you are, and keep pushing forward. Early struggles don’t determine your future.
Building Skills and Leadership in College
Evan played Division 1 soccer but realized he wanted to focus on a sustainable career in software engineering. He quit sports to dedicate time to hacking and founded the Cornell Hacking Club, growing it from a handful of people to a 200-strong community focused on Capture the Flag competitions and hands-on projects.
This experience was critical for developing leadership, communication, and teamwork skills — the soft skills essential for senior engineers and tech leads.
Key Takeaways:
- Join or start clubs/projects that help you build leadership and technical skills simultaneously.
- Side projects are best when they solve real problems you observe around you, not just generic tutorials.
Navigating Interviews and Landing Meta
Evan openly admits that interviewing was challenging, and luck played a role — for example, encountering a LeetCode question he had skimmed the night before. Competitive programming and Capture the Flag helped prepare him technically, but persistence was key.
The co-interviewer shared similar experiences with tough interviews and multiple attempts before landing offers.
Key Takeaways:
- Prepare thoroughly but accept that luck and timing also influence outcomes.
- Competitive programming and real projects help build problem-solving skills for interviews.
Choosing the Right Team and Role
At Meta, Evan experienced “boot camp” — a period where new hires rotated through teams before choosing one. Though initially interested in cybersecurity, Evan found the team culture wasn’t a good fit and instead joined the Content Integrity team working on machine learning models to detect harmful content.
Similarly, the co-interviewer chose infrastructure teams based on interest and “coolness,” demonstrating the importance of finding a team and role that resonate with you.
Key Takeaways:
- Explore multiple teams early, and choose one where the work and culture excite you.
- Don’t settle for the first opportunity; advocate for what feels right.
Early Career Promotions and Confidence Building
Evan’s first promotion came unexpectedly within six months, which boosted his confidence. Prior to that, he built a reputation for being inquisitive, proactive, and willing to help others—qualities that managers notice.
Helping onboard new hires and being the go-to person for questions positioned him as a natural leader.
Key Takeaways:
- Be proactive, curious, and helpful to build trust and demonstrate leadership early.
- Celebrate small wins and use them to grow confidence.
Shipping Code Fast: Workflow and Asking for Help
Both Evan and the co-interviewer emphasized two main strategies for rapid delivery:
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Master your workflow: Know the codebase intimately, optimize your tools, and memorize key paths to quickly make changes.
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Don’t be afraid to ask for help: Spending hours stuck trying to solve something that a senior engineer can answer quickly is inefficient. Learn when and how to ask questions.
Additionally, becoming excellent at code search within large codebases is critical for fast progress.
Key Takeaways:
- Invest time into improving your workflow and tooling.
- Balance independent problem solving with timely help-seeking.
- Develop codebase navigation skills early.
Growing Into Leadership and Senior Roles
Evan’s promotion to senior engineer came as his team grew. He was asked to tech lead a sub-team, where he managed roadmaps, coordinated others, and held one-on-ones — stepping into leadership before fully understanding the role.
He learned to overcome territorial feelings when a senior engineer joined, shifting from competition to collaboration, which accelerated both their growth.
The co-interviewer also shared the importance of delegation and working through others to scale impact as a senior engineer.
Key Takeaways:
- Step into leadership roles even if you feel inexperienced; growth happens on the job.
- Collaborate and learn from more experienced peers rather than compete with them.
- Learn to delegate to multiply your impact.
Staff Engineer Promotion: Impact and Holistic Problem Solving
Evan was promoted to staff engineer after leading Meta’s response to the New Zealand mosque shooting live stream incident. The high-impact, high-visibility work involved creating a new real-time content integrity team and pioneering novel solutions to detect live video atrocities.
Importantly, Evan identified a simple, overlooked signal (comments on videos) that dramatically improved detection rates, demonstrating that:
- Impact matters more than technical complexity.
- Holistic problem solving beats narrow technical optimization.
The co-interviewer had a similar experience, optimizing compute efficiency with simple yet impactful changes.
Key Takeaways:
- Focus on the highest-impact problems, even if the solution seems simple.
- Think holistically about problems, not just technically.
Meta’s Culture of Impact and Influence Without Authority
Meta rewards engineers who find impactful solutions, regardless of complexity. Titles aren’t always public; influence is earned by consistently being right, trustworthy, and collaborative.
Evan naturally took on some managerial responsibilities as a tech lead and earned trust by being on everyone’s side, supporting teammates, and building strong relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- Build credibility through consistent, valuable contributions and integrity.
- Influence comes from trust and expertise, not just titles.
Management vs. Individual Contributor Path
Both Evan and the co-interviewer considered switching to management but chose different paths. Evan transitioned to management to broaden skills and avoid becoming “too specialized” as a high-level IC, while the co-interviewer stayed longer in IC roles focused on technical leadership.
Management involves different challenges: people problems, meetings, and less control over your schedule, but offers opportunities for organizational impact.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand the trade-offs between IC and management roles and choose based on your interests and long-term goals.
- Management requires different skills but can broaden your career options.
Leaving Meta for Startups: Risks and Rewards
Evan left Meta despite a clear promotion path to pursue a startup with a trusted co-founder. The lure was passion, learning, and excitement about new problems, even though it meant giving up a lucrative and stable career.
His startup journey involved:
- Building a web3 social intelligence product.
- Pivoting through acquisitions and new ideas.
- Launching “Hello Interview,” a company providing mock interviews and AI-driven learning for software engineers.
Though financial rewards haven’t yet matched Big Tech salaries, the experience and learning have been invaluable.
Key Takeaways:
- Leaving Big Tech for startups is risky but offers unparalleled growth and learning.
- Financial rewards may lag, but skills and experiences compound long-term career value.
- Follow your passion, especially if you have a strong co-founder and product traction.
Technical Growth: Big Tech vs. Startups
At Meta, Evan worked on narrow but high-impact problems, often insulated from infrastructure details like caching and database setup. At startups, he had to learn full stack development, infrastructure, and operations — rapidly expanding his technical breadth.
He recommends:
- Starting in Big Tech for depth.
- Moving to startups for breadth and practical skills.
Or ideally, combining both over a career.
Key Takeaways:
- Big Tech provides deep expertise; startups teach end-to-end skills and operational knowledge.
- Curiosity about underlying systems accelerates growth.
When to Build a Startup
Evan advises:
- Gain experience (ideally senior level) before jumping to startups.
- Ensure financial stability and support systems.
- Consider joining an early-stage startup before founding your own.
- Leverage new technologies like AI to accelerate progress.
Key Takeaways:
- Timing and financial security are crucial for startup success.
- Learn from early-stage startups before founding your own.
Work-Life Balance and Biggest Regrets
Evan typically worked ~50 hours/week at Meta, often fueled by passion, with flexibility for personal interests like snowboarding. At startups, hours were longer and more intense, often working late into the night.
His biggest regret is not slowing down to deeply understand how things work, instead focusing on shipping fast and moving on. Now, with more experience, he dedicates time to in-depth learning.
He also wishes he had invested more in relationships outside work, realizing that friendships and personal life fulfillment are equally important.
Key Takeaways:
- Balance speed with deep understanding for sustainable growth.
- Invest in relationships outside work for a fulfilling life.
Final Advice to New Grads and Aspiring Engineers
- Focus on building strong relationships and soft skills alongside technical growth.
- Be curious and inquisitive — don’t just ship features, understand the systems.
- Advocate for yourself in conversations about promotions and growth.
- Choose teams and projects that excite and challenge you.
- Balance work with life and personal fulfillment.
- Remember: career growth is a marathon, not a sprint.
Resources to Explore
- Hello Interview: Evan’s startup offering mock interviews, AI-driven learning, and free educational content to help engineers prepare for software engineering interviews. hellointerview.com
- Meta Engineering Blogs: For deep dives into infrastructure and system design.
Conclusion
Evan King’s journey from a struggling high school student to a staff engineer at Meta by 25, and then a startup founder, is inspiring and insightful. It underscores that rapid career growth combines technical skill, leadership, curiosity, impact focus, and strong relationships.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to accelerate your career, Evan’s story offers practical lessons on navigating interviews, choosing teams, delivering impact, growing into leadership, and making bold moves toward your passion.
Have questions or want to share your own career journey? Drop a comment below or reach out on social media!