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Ask HN: What do top engineers you know do that others don't?

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Re: Ask HN: What do top engineers you know do that others don't?

#141

Post by oceanghost »

stickfigure wrote: post #51

I boil it down to two things: #1 Rapidly Climb Learning Curves The ability to quickly learn enough about new subjects to be useful. New technologies or APIs; new algorithms; mathematical or statistical subjects; and most importantly, your problem domain. Some of this ability is a skill, "knowing how to learn", which covers google-fu, reading comprehension, prioritization, time management, etc. Some of this ability co…

Do you have any tips for "rapidly climbing learning curves"?

I find the pedantry of learning how to do the same thing over, and over and over... to be... pedantic?

Re: Ask HN: What do top engineers you know do that others don't?

#143

Post by tmaly »

AllegedAlec wrote: post #19
tetek wrote: post #3

1. Don't bitch about legacy software 2. Are willing to help with getting proper requirements 3. Don't need a JIRA task for everything 4. Don't say they are done if something is untestable 5. Are willing to do stuff other than their skill (eg. one of the graphics required for the project is too big, top engineer opens up gimp, resizes and continue. Bad engineer will report to manager that design team did shitty job, r…

> 3. Don't need a JIRA task for everything Genuinely asking: how so? Tickets are not just some bit of bureaucracy, they are also a living log of what has been done and why that thing was done.

I think having a ticket also helps coordinate things if your working between global offices. Also, having a ticket helps others pickup if your out of the office. This has saved my team many times.

Re: Ask HN: What do top engineers you know do that others don't?

#144

Post by gitgud »

jakemal wrote: post #137
muzani wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Arguably the best engineers are also good designers, and everything else related to the product. Some of the best ones I know dabble in things like art and music, and do it better than most of the people who are full time specialists. It reminds me sort of like watching sports, where a world class defender can attack better than a second division forward. Maybe they just have really outstanding soft skills.

> Arguably the best engineers are also good designers Is there an implied caveat that this applies mostly to Frontend engineers? Or do you think this is something Backend engineers should also be good at? Or I suppose there is third option that great engineers should do both.

Good design in my opinion extends beyond the GUI. It encompasses api design, software architecture, system architecture even the version control and deployment systems.

Re: Ask HN: What do top engineers you know do that others don't?

#146

Post by muzani »

jakemal wrote: post #137
muzani wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Arguably the best engineers are also good designers, and everything else related to the product. Some of the best ones I know dabble in things like art and music, and do it better than most of the people who are full time specialists. It reminds me sort of like watching sports, where a world class defender can attack better than a second division forward. Maybe they just have really outstanding soft skills.

> Arguably the best engineers are also good designers Is there an implied caveat that this applies mostly to Frontend engineers? Or do you think this is something Backend engineers should also be good at? Or I suppose there is third option that great engineers should do both.

Well, a lot of them are "full stack". Full stack seems like a fantasy but this really seems to be the case. I know plenty who work front end for a couple years and switch to a back end role just because they want some back end experience. Some even switch to a sales role.

I think it's part of the learning process, where cross-discipline helps them learn a lot faster. Or maybe it's the attitude, where they work to learn as many things as possible rather than optimize for some high paying specialist role.

Re: Ask HN: What do top engineers you know do that others don't?

#147

Post by agarwav »

davidivadavid wrote: post #78
drewcoo wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That comes right before getting customer data or asking them, right? It's easy to make up just-so stories and completely disconnect from customers' reality if you're stuck in your own head.

Customer data and asking customers isn't fool proof either. That's why the best shortcut to being a great engineer/product manager/designer is working on stuff you would use yourself to solve a problem you really have. That way you limit misinterpretations.

I would also like to add that business problems to be solved should not be driven by technical desires, rather accompanied. The problems being solved have a high possibility of losing track if the tech starts controlling it. I have seen instances where people have first set their minds on the tech problems to be solved and then deriving the real customer need from them - this is wrong and does not go a long way.

Re: Ask HN: What do top engineers you know do that others don't?

#148

Post by Scarblac »

brianwawok wrote: post #120
Scarblac wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What if training is simply the most efficient way to get the required knowledge and it has nothing to do with the level of perfection of the organisation?

Maybe, but it means the guy who can teach himself via google is going to get his similar project done a lot faster.

I don't think Googling is the fastest way to learn things in general.

But I was mostly thinking of stuff that can't be found on Google, e.g. the last time I said I needed training was when I was going to do maintenance at some company, on some internal application that I had never seen. I didn't know the domain either. But I had heard that a two-day training course for users existed (also given by internal people). So I said I wanted that training (developers before me hadn't), people thought that was a good idea and it turned out to be very helpful.

Re: Ask HN: What do top engineers you know do that others don't?

#149

Post by jakemal »

gitgud wrote: post #144
jakemal wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Arguably the best engineers are also good designers Is there an implied caveat that this applies mostly to Frontend engineers? Or do you think this is something Backend engineers should also be good at? Or I suppose there is third option that great engineers should do both.

Good design in my opinion extends beyond the GUI. It encompasses api design, software architecture, system architecture even the version control and deployment systems.

Agreed. But in the context of the parent comment, it seems like they are specifically referring to web interface design.

Re: Ask HN: What do top engineers you know do that others don't?

#150

Post by eswat »

kingbirdy wrote: post #50
huffmsa wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Assume hostile users (security-wise). Ah, a personal favorite of mine which often makes other people uncomfortable. 1. Users are like Marines, if it can be broken, it will be broken. If it's use is not clearly marked, it will be used incorrectly. If it can be fucked (literally or figuratively), it will be fucked. 2. Users are malicious and are actively trying to backdoor everything you do. Why? Because it's the fir…

> If it's use is not clearly marked, it will be used incorrectly. In my experience clear markings aren't enough to stop it being used incorrectly.

True. Clear markings are like a deterrent control in security. They can mitigate damage but something that prevents wrongful use needs to be used in the end.
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