We need to talk about the “ex-Netflix,” “ex-Google,” “ex-Meta” parade happening on LinkedIn. When did where you used to work become who you are? Titles aren’t earned by proximity. If you were a cog in a big machine, cool - but don’t confuse history with credibility.
Your value isn’t your past logo. It’s what you can do now, the ideas you bring, the problems you solve, the teams you build. “Ex” means former. Not forever relevant. The industry moves fast. You don’t get to coast on a 2-year stint at BigTech 2019 while the rest of us are out here actually shipping.
Real titles? Founder. Builder. Operator. Engineer. Anything that shows current skin in the game. Stop hiding behind dead logos. Start showing us what’s alive.