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Ask HN: What tech job would let me get away with the least real work possible?

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Re: Ask HN: What tech job would let me get away with the least real work possible?

#851

Post by xkeysc0re »

redisman wrote: post #614
hnarn wrote: post #415

If you want my advice, it is simply this: look for dysfunctional companies. They're easy to recognize, because they look like pretty much the opposite of those companies everybody really want to work at. Take everything you see from a website like Elastic[1] for example and invert it: - It should NOT be clear what the value proposition is. - The website should NOT adhere to modern design standards, or at least do so…

Dysfunctional companies in my experience have been horrible places to work where they work the devs to death and make them do all kinds of unrelated tasks.

I can vouch for this. Dysfunctional companies have no conception of humanity and you will suffer as you try to squeeze through the cracks, which is much harder than it looks.

Re: Ask HN: What tech job would let me get away with the least real work possible?

#852

Post by dotancohen » 

  > Unfortunately, I require shelter, calories and hobby
  > materials. Thus the need for some kind of job.
Actually, you don't need a job. You need someone to give you hobby materials and then to give you money for doing your hobby. If your hobby happens to be electronics, C++, or grilling hamburgers then this will be much easier than if you have more traditional hobbies.

Find a job that you enjoy, and you will never work a day in your life.

Re: Ask HN: What tech job would let me get away with the least real work possible?

#853

Post by GordonS »

dannyw wrote: post #392
pbronez wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why on earth would you have a Scrum Master AND a Project Manager? Makes sense to have a dedicated less-technical person to manage schedules, coordinate with clients and keep people honest on commitments... but dear god why would you ever start splitting that role up into multiple people

Because sometimes projects are complicated and require lots of business knowledge, and the project manager may be managing multiple projects. The idea of a "secretary" is not a bad one for high performing teams.

I've been tech lead on projects with as many as 30 team members, and still the full-time Scrum Master had very little to do.

Re: Ask HN: What tech job would let me get away with the least real work possible?

#855

Post by imtringued »

chad_strategic wrote: post #741
kelp wrote: post #538

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This reminds me of advice I got from the VP of Eng at my first real full time tech job. This was back around late 1999 / early 2000. Peak of the dot com era. He told me what most people think of as job security is totally wrong. If you're the only person who knows something, you become a liability. But if you're constantly teaching and sharing that knowledge you become incredibly valuable to the organization. That's…

"If you're the only person who knows something, you become a liability." So I had that philosophy when I was in the Marine Corps, well because I wanted my Marines and myself to survive and carry out the mission. Sharing knowledge in the business world, never. That's a great way to lose a job.

Think of it this way, if your employers fire you for doing the right thing, then you will spend less time at companies like that.

Re: Ask HN: What tech job would let me get away with the least real work possible?

#856

Post by Leftium »

Perhaps try automating a non-tech job: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/tenoq

> Hired full time, and I make a good living. My work involves a lot of "data entry", verification, blah blah. I am a programmer at heart and figured out how to make a script do all my work for me...

> So reddit, am I a scumbag? I work about 8 hours a week doing real work, the rest is spent playing games on my phone or reading reddit...

(This guy ended up becoming the lead software engineer of his own department, doing something he enjoyed: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/vomtn/)

patio11 example of a simple CRUD app: https://www.kalzumeus.com/2011/10/28/dont-call-yourself-a-pr...

> For example, consider an internal travel expense reporting form. Across a company with 2,000 employees, that might save 5,000 man-hours a year (at an average fully-loaded cost of $50 an hour) versus handling expenses on paper, for a savings of $250,000 a year. It does not matter to the company that the reporting form is the world’s simplest CRUD app, it only matters that it either saves the company costs or generates additional revenue.

Re: Ask HN: What tech job would let me get away with the least real work possible?

#857

Post by GordonS »

edem wrote: post #838
GordonS wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work in the UK as a remote architect for a megacorp, working a 4-day week, 7.5h per day Mon-Thu. I work on projects all across Europe and Scandinavian. I moved to a 4-day week a long time back - something like 7 years, I guess. Honestly, I get as much done in 4 days as I did in 5 - I really think it's a sweet spot, where you are forced to focus more for a shorter time. Anyways, in terms of team working, obviously s…

Do you have open positions? Sounds like something I'd do too.

If you're in the UK or Europe (AFAIK, this applies to Europe too), by law, any company has to seriously consider requests for flexible working (e.g. part-time hours). I simply asked, and they said "yeah, OK". Obviously working 20% less hours means 20% less pay and holidays.

I work for an out-sourcing and consulting mega-corp - I get to work on interesting projects, but and honestly, it's a horrible company to work for in terms of culture, power struggles, biases, bureaucracy and lay-offs. I plan on getting out soon, going full-time on my side business. As such, I'd never recommend them to anyone.

Re: Ask HN: What tech job would let me get away with the least real work possible?

#858

Post by datavirtue »

tw04 wrote: post #745
kelp wrote: post #538

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This reminds me of advice I got from the VP of Eng at my first real full time tech job. This was back around late 1999 / early 2000. Peak of the dot com era. He told me what most people think of as job security is totally wrong. If you're the only person who knows something, you become a liability. But if you're constantly teaching and sharing that knowledge you become incredibly valuable to the organization. That's…

>He told me what most people think of as job security is totally wrong. If you're the only person who knows something, you become a liability. But if you're constantly teaching and sharing that knowledge you become incredibly valuable to the organization. That's when you have job security. Sounds like the VP of engineering was doing his job quite well. Set up new hires to share everything so when their salary becomes…

Aviation engineers guard their shit and embed themselves like ticks. Access databases, spreadsheets, Fortran (like old ass fortran spaghetti code), servers under the desk. All this was common at GE.

They know what happens when you don't hold the company hostage. Nearly all of them retire and then "consult."

Re: Ask HN: What tech job would let me get away with the least real work possible?

#859

Post by nicbou »

urlwolf wrote: post #474
nicbou wrote: post #82

I build a website that helps people navigate life in Germany. It requires little work and pays the bills. I still have to work, but if it's sunny outside, I am rarely stuck behind the keyboard. Unfortunately, I don't think I could easily reproduce. I wouldn't have the energy to do the same in a new location. Even in my little circle, I have many competitors, though they are fortunately not that good. If there was an…

Link please :)

b-mmxx had it right: it's allaboutberlin.com

Re: Ask HN: What tech job would let me get away with the least real work possible?

#860

Post by datavirtue »

tootie wrote: post #465
fsloth wrote: post #16

This is an awesome question. I hope someone has good strategies for you. Life should be spent doing the things you find worthwhile, and the fact is, not all of those things are monetizable. Given how esteem- and success driven HN as a platform is... you might not get too many ideas since I suppose people want to maintain their "hireable" status. Success and "loving your job" are more or less empty phrases unless you…

After 20 years of working and a sense of genuine burnout, I landed a "Dream Job" a few months ago where I'm doing tech leadership at a mid-size non-profit. We have a small familial team, a set of worthwhile and genuinely beloved public services and mission of doing good. There's still politics and revenue issues and all the sorts of stuff that a go along with any company, but it's a lot less aggressive. Work-life bal…

My first job in tech was at the American Red Cross. Easily one of the best cultures I have ever seen. Better than a dysfunctional family.
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