Technical Depth vs Buzzwords
Buzzwords hide ignorance. Depth shows competence.
Buzzword Detox
❌ Before (Buzzword Salad)
"I will leverage machine learning with blockchain
integration and cloud-native architecture to create
a scalable, synergistic solution that optimizes
stakeholder value through disruptive innovation."
Translation: "I have no idea what I'm doing."✅ After (Real Technical Depth)
"I will implement a caching layer using Redis
with LRU eviction policy, cache invalidation
on writes, and fallback to PostgreSQL queries
if cache misses exceed threshold."
Translation: "I know what I'm talking about."How to Show Depth
1. Explain the Why
❌ Shallow:
"I will use Docker for deployment."
✅ Deep:
"Docker allows reproducible environments and
simplifies CI/CD. I'll use multi-stage builds
to minimize image size and leverage layer caching
for faster builds."2. Discuss Trade-offs
"I considered:
- Option A (pros/cons)
- Option B (pros/cons)
- I'm choosing Option C because [specific reasons]"3. Acknowledge Challenges
"This approach has risks:
1. Cache coherency in distributed setup
→ Mitigation: TTL-based invalidation
2. Complexity in testing
→ Mitigation: Test fixture factories"Depth Checklist
- Specific technology choices with reasoning
- Trade-offs considered and explained
- Potential challenges and mitigations
- Testing strategy with concrete examples
- Performance considerations and metrics
- Security implications thought through
Mentors can spot bullshit immediately. Be honest about what you know and don't know.