IMHO, the correct way to look at it is to compare impact/results.
A 10x engineer might not get 10x done, but their work will be 10x better in a combination of ways: quality, maintainability, speed, portability, extendability, etc. Hopefully the ways in which their work is better fits the priorities of the organization.
That’s the only way you can really call someone an N-xer compared to a productive individual contributor.
Someone like Jim Keller is a big multiplier at a higher level. People today understand the value an executive like Steve Jobs brings, but usually there’s debate on the value before it becomes clear a few years later.
A 10x engineer might not get 10x done, but their work will be 10x better in a combination of ways: quality, maintainability, speed, portability, extendability, etc. Hopefully the ways in which their work is better fits the priorities of the organization.
That’s the only way you can really call someone an N-xer compared to a productive individual contributor.
Someone like Jim Keller is a big multiplier at a higher level. People today understand the value an executive like Steve Jobs brings, but usually there’s debate on the value before it becomes clear a few years later.