According to Jungian personality typology, there are two main thinking types – introverted and extroverted. Introverted thinkers value conceptual purity and coherence. They get joy from logic puzzles without real-world constraints. Extroverted thinkers care about results. If it ships and works, that’s what matters.
Debates around idealism versus pragmatism often come down to personality. INTPs and other “TP/FJ” types lean introverted. They focus on flawless abstract systems, not shipping products. INTJs and “TJ/FP” folks think extroverted. They’re all about effective execution.
In leadership roles, this plays out predictably:
Architects and CTOs driven by introverted thinking set uncompromising standards to achieve technical elegance. Meanwhile, engineering VPs motivated by extroverted thinking focus on tangible progress – building and shipping.
Neither style alone cuts it long-term. Too much introverted thinking leads to beautiful systems that never work in practice. Too much extroverted thinking loses sight of the bigger picture. You need both personalities keeping each other in check through healthy tension and debate.
Effective leaders balance between finding the perfect technical solution and actually delivering something useful. That’s the introverted-extroverted combo that makes magic happen. Introverted thinkers who can compliment with extroverted thinking styles and vice versa, can succeed both as CTOs and Eng VPs.
Introverted Thinkers in Tech
INTP, ENTP, ISTP, ESTP, INFJ, ENFJ, ISFJ, ESFJ types lean introverted thinking. They seek technical elegance and coherence.
Traits:
- Focus more on theories, ideas, elegance
- Enjoy discussing abstract concepts and design aesthetics
- May get lost “going down rabbit holes”
- Strong opinions on technical approaches
- Will rewrite code to make it “cleaner”
- Praise new technologies based on potential
- Phrases: “What if we…?” “I have an idea…” “There’s a better way…”
Common archetypes:
- Chief Architect
- CTO
- Principal Engineer
- Solutions Architect
They focus on flawless abstract systems over real-world effectiveness. Provide long-term technical vision. Their innovations spawn industry transformations. They start technical revolutions that may take decades to unfold. introverted thinking check against product-driven extroverted thinkers. Balance the inspirational architects against the builders translating ideas into practice.
Extroverted Thinkers in Tech
INTJ, ENTJ, ISTJ, ESTJ, ENFP, ESFP, ISFP, INFP types prefer extroverted thinking. They focus on real-world results.
Traits:
- Focus on practical objectives, shipping, results
- Enjoy discussing project plans and product specifics
- Driven – make quick decisions to hit deadlines
- Strong opinions on product features
- Content shipping “good enough” code
- Praise technology delivering business value
- Phrases: “Let’s ship this.” “What’s realistic?” “Does it work?”
Common archetypes:
- Engineering VP
- Head of Product
- Program Manager
- Scrum Master
They drive measurable progress – shipping products, meeting deadlines and milestones. Tangible business impact beats technical purity.
Provide pragmatism to balance big-picture visionaries. Keep architects grounded by translating ideas into practice.
The extroverted thinking types check against navel-gazing introverts. Counter the impractical perfectionists with a results-first, no-nonsense mindset.
Balance the inspirational dreamers with builders who operationalize innovative concepts into functioning products.
Tips
For extroverted thinkers:
- Be patient with nitty gritty details
- Don’t expect an instant answer
- Don’t rush perfectionists
- Ask “why” questions
- Help define standards
- Push for milestones
- Make side projects at home to get your fix
- Use tooling and automation to attain / maintain consistency
- Learn the value of slow vetting of options
- Balance breadth with depth
- “Throwing more money” at a problem is merely a band-aid
- Create opportunities for root-cause analysis
For introverted thinkers:
- Explain theoretical concerns in simple relatable terms
- When communicating, try to reason backwards from effect to cause
- Set goals, break them down into chunks
- Align with timelines
- Don’t get defensive about sunk cognitive cost
- Show business value
- Start simple, show results early and often
- Write articles, libraries, make original contributions, join meetups to get your fix
- Use tooling to personalize your experience
- Find a niche within the company where you can thrive without constraints
- Become an in-house expert to earn more autonomy
Disclaimer: Written by a likely biased Extroverted Thinking