It means you hire folks who can do customer support. That's definitely not an introverted engineer. Sounds like the benefits might even be worth the extra hiring filter.
As an introverted engineer, I beg to differ. If you can't spend 10 minutes in a very directed conversation with a stranger who wants to use your product, that's an attitude problem, not a introversion/extroversion problem.
Not always. I'm an introvert and half of my position is a customer support role. It's pushed me, helped me grow and yes, it exhausts me on some days. It works best when you have it only on occasion and if you are able to learn from it to make a better product (as the article says).
As an introverted engineer Olarker, I strongly disagree that introverted engineers can't do customer support! :)
I do agree that it is a great hiring filter though: we definitely want to work with people that can maybe step out of their comfort zone a little and get a new perspective on the product they build, and the people that use it. You don't have to be a social butterfly, but you shouldn't need to wall yourself off from your customers, or the rest of the company for that matter.
