I freelance but often a startup client will ask if they can hire me. To me it's not about lunches and big monitors, nor git and agile. These are my requirements: - I want to keep working remotely. - The salary should be competitive with what I'm making now. - There should be proof the company is an ongoing concern. - The company should have a good answer to how it can help me progress in my career, preferably without…
Ask HN: Programmers, what are your min requirements? What is your utopia?
21–25 of 25 posts
Re: Ask HN: Programmers, what are your min requirements? What is your utopia?
#22Not a utopia (no idea what that would look like). This is my bare minimum I set myself as I'm now on the market. No open plan spaces or sharing. I want an office to myself or at least my own cubicle with full-height walls. No mandatory overtime or hints at "we all work really hard." I expect to come in at 9 and leave at 5. No waterfall process (yeah, it still exists) SCM, reasonably recent toolset, clueful managers.…
Re: Ask HN: Programmers, what are your min requirements? What is your utopia?
#23- If i get a phone call that i consider important, i will answer it.
- If i am feeling sick, i will stay at home, don't ask me to provide a doctors note.
- If i come in late, i will stay longer, just don't write me some BS e-mail.
- Don't install a website filter or something similar.
- I will take my off-days when i desire, i don't know 6 months upfront when i need a day off.
... the list continues.
Somewhat minimum as far as the physical workspace and tools: a desk, a decent chair, a 24" screen, a custom-built PC and my operating system of choice with full control. I don't mind working in a open/shared space as long as it doesn't get too loud. A big bonus would be providing free snacks, drinks and meals - it is a cheap and easy thing to do and benefits everyone.
Re: Ask HN: Programmers, what are your min requirements? What is your utopia?
#24I freelance but often a startup client will ask if they can hire me. To me it's not about lunches and big monitors, nor git and agile. These are my requirements: - I want to keep working remotely. - The salary should be competitive with what I'm making now. - There should be proof the company is an ongoing concern. - The company should have a good answer to how it can help me progress in my career, preferably without…
To me, this is the best answer. I'll work for almost any company for a long, long time as long as they allow me to work remotely and always pay me competitively. The rest are just small, interchangeable details.
Re: Ask HN: Programmers, what are your min requirements? What is your utopia?
#25I recommend instead to think about what your ideal situation is, and then invest your energy in creating/achieving that. Make it something compelling enough that you'll put in the massive amount of effort to make it happen.
Hearing other peoples ideal work situations might be a source of ideas, but ultimately, it's up to you to decide what's important to you.
Personally, my list includes: high income, respectful clients, choice of languages and technologies, working on things that matter, getting paid to learn new technologies, smart colleagues, good process, autonomy, time freedom, location freedom, ability to bring in team members I select, low bureaucracy, low politics, and working with contacts high on the org chart.
As far as my physical work environment, I'm pretty flexible. I've worked from coworking spaces, cafes, Regus locations, hotels, 3/5/7-series BMWs, airplanes, restaurants, E/S-class Mercedes', dinner tables, beaches, boats, train stations, and occasionally even the offices of my clients. I do my best to pay attention to ergonomics and environmental quality. I carry an inflatable lumbar pillow and a yoga mat and like workspaces free of fluorescent lighting and chemical scents.