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Ask HN: Is it me or ...?

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Re: Ask HN: Is it me or ...?

#171

Post by joesmo »

"I care more about the project than about the salary and benefits. I suppose that's the case for most of us."

No, it's not, and this is probably your mistake. As others have pointed out, most people at any company care more about things outside the company such as family, friends, side projects, hobbies, etc. In other words, they're only there for the money. You don't have to care about the money, but if you start caring about things outside the job, you'll realize you're only there for the money too. Find something outside of work and work won't matter so much. It's much easier said than done, but I can relate to having work as the only or main passion and it's a terrible condition. Also, if you're staying a year or two, it maybe just natural after that much time to lose interest or want to move on. Around three to five years, it's almost be expected in the software industry, especially if you don't want to move into management.

Re: Ask HN: Is it me or ...?

#172

Post by gtirloni »

neutralino1 wrote: post #6
trumbitta2 wrote: post #2

I'd go with a combination of 1/ and 2/. Most of us are like you. In 14 years I learned to: - low my expectancies - do my job always at 100%, but not 110% (save rare occasions) - live a life outside work (mine, btw, is a life of wife, side-projects, and mmorpg)

Thank you for your comment. I have a very active life outside. I just wish I could subscribe to a project for longer than a couple of years.

I just wish I could subscribe to a project for longer than a couple of years.

With over a decade of experience in my field, I can certainly relate but cannot offer any advice.

I'm currently reading the book below to understand more about this (it's a bit too verbose but it's a decent book I recommend).

http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Surprising-Truth-About-Motivates...

Re: Ask HN: Is it me or ...?

#173

Post by unclebucknasty »

jfasi wrote: post #53

I think it would be helpful to try to understand the perspective of management. Consider an extreme stereotype: the "business school guy." He went to XYZ school of management, where he learned that a business is an organization that takes in raw materials and creates something more valuable than the sum of the unfinished parts. He learned how to raise money by selling his business idea to other people who think like…

Well, we can't pretend that the culture has nothing to do with it, right?

I mean, how many truly big ideas are coming out of SV vs. ideas that are simply looking to attract eyeballs and create viral growth for the buyout/exit?

Also, how does the lean startup, MVP, iterate, pivot, succeed-at-anything culture impact the stability and vision (or lack thereof) of companies? Seems that it leads to a lack of the type of mission that would keep someone like the OP inspired. If you join a company that has a vision to revolutionize X, then pivots 8 times before landing on talking toasters, then, yeah, you may lose interest at one of those pivots.

Re: Ask HN: Is it me or ...?

#174

Post by PakG1 »

Spend a few days reading www.randsinrepose.com. The guy does a really good job of explaining management to developers in a way that developers can finally understand and respect management (assuming the management is good).

http://randsinrepose.com/archives/category/management/ http://randsinrepose.com/archives/

Re: Ask HN: Is it me or ...?

#175

Post by rday »

calinet6 wrote: post #163
droopyEyelids wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To me you seem to be describing some sort of ideal world. Your vision fails to describe why information is withheld from engineers that would help them do their job. We wont even talk about why doublespeak and so often what seem to be outright lies are told to trusted members of the team. The world you describe is some rational honest place where people are trying to build a system they understand. In an engineering…

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

I cringe each time I read this quote. It isn't helpful. I have had too many people take advantage of "second chances" by pleading ignorance. Maybe I'm just too cynical.

The only take away here is that you have to treat malice and stupidity the same. The person in question either messed up intentionally, or is too stupid to do their job. You should fire them, or quit, whichever position you happen to be in.

Re: Ask HN: Is it me or ...?

#176

Post by penguinlinux »

I've worked in all sort of places. There have been places where business used to make the wrong decisions, but the only thing that kept our team together was our manager. He defended us and took one of the team many times trying to shield us from the crazy decision made from above.

Once he left the company I left afterwards. I was loyal to him not to the company. He was my manager and I respected him and always wanted to do my best to make his life easier. I worked with him not against him. I didn't care about the business decisions as long as I got paid. We did great work but as always bad decisions can make or break a company. When I join a company I don't know what is going to happen 1 or two years but I can try to ask questions to my potential manager to see if we are going to be good fit or not.

Re: Ask HN: Is it me or ...?

#177

Post by mtrimpe »

calinet6 wrote: post #163
droopyEyelids wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To me you seem to be describing some sort of ideal world. Your vision fails to describe why information is withheld from engineers that would help them do their job. We wont even talk about why doublespeak and so often what seem to be outright lies are told to trusted members of the team. The world you describe is some rational honest place where people are trying to build a system they understand. In an engineering…

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

Interestingly enough (in the context of this thread) my personal corollary to that is:

"Never attribute to incompetence that which is adequately explained by bad management."

Re: Ask HN: Is it me or ...?

#178

Post by stcredzero »

seestheday wrote: post #145
stcredzero wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

* The MBA entitlement is pretty easy to spot and always toxic.* You can remove the MBA, and it generalizes just fine. It's better to compromise on technical details (Clojure vs. Python, Git vs. Hg) than on quality of people. I would posit that the general tenor of a technical community, the quality of people attracted to it, and the efficiency with which it accrues value and gains the right kind of mindshare is reall…

quote: You can remove the MBA, and it generalizes just fine. agreed - I've worked for MBA's and non MBA's. In my small sample the MBA's have actually been less entitled, but I also know that the multiple of anecdote != evidence

The actual quote is, "The plural of anecdote is evidence."

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-the-fox-knows/ - search for "plural of anecdote"

Yup, so much for "stuff you read on the Internet" being the basis of rigorous, insightful analysis. Sturgeon's Law applies.

Re: Ask HN: Is it me or ...?

#179

Post by eranation »

> Is there any way I can find a boss I respect beyond a couple of years?

Yes, be your own boss. You sound like a smart person, who can be a tech co founder. Or you can find your boss from your pool of friends. Find someone you know for a few years that you think will be great to work with.

It doesn't have to be a YC 1 billion$ company that you build. Even doing freelance will give you more freedom. And you will have less attachment to a specific startup as it will be part of the expectation that you "see other people".

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