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How do you make programmers work 60-80 hours per week?

brianknapp.me

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Re: How do you make programmers work 60-80 hours per week?

#21

Post by dsfyu404ed »

travisl12 wrote: post #18
drblast wrote: post #11

I seem to be alone in this, but I actually do about 25-30 hours of actual programming work each week. And that's sit-down-and-concentrate-and-build-shit work. I'm pretty ruthless about declining extraneous meetings and I keep my door closed most of the time. I think it's reasonable to have 25% of a 40-hour week be for meetings, helping other people, eating lunch, sitting in on interviews, and learning/trying out new…

That is so awesome... you have a door?!?

Many buildings in areas with lots of defense and medical industry will be set up to be all offices.

Re: How do you make programmers work 60-80 hours per week?

#23

Post by toomuchtodo »

tudorconstantin wrote: post #13
codr4life wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would you work 80 hours per week when a couple of hours a day is enough to get by? Or even encourage that? There's plenty more important things in life than work and funny money, and plenty more important things in work than number of hours spent behind the keyboard.

Because you know that you go full throttle for 3-5 years and then you have the possibility to retire. I would sacrifice 5 years of my life in order to get financial freedom for the rest of it.

Would you sacrifice five years of your life if the odds of a financially independent exit was less than 10%? Less than 10% of startups succeed, and that's before breaking that cohort into startups that barely succeed and ones that'll leave you independently wealthy.

Re: How do you make programmers work 60-80 hours per week?

#24

Post by PhasmaFelis »

xyzzy4 wrote: post #7

To answer the actual question: 1. Pay your programmers per hour, and pay them very well. For example many people who are paid $200/hour would work 80 hours per week. 2. Provide free taxis or have easy public transportation to their homes. 3. Offer to pay for their children's daycare if they work extra hours. 4. Provide free food delivery from nearby restaurants.

Those are answers to the question "how can I keep my employees in the office longer without increasing their productivity?" The answer to the actual question is "you can't."

Re: How do you make programmers work 60-80 hours per week?

#25

Post by TP4Cornholio »

simplydt wrote: post #8

I think it follows from Brian's point that only founders may ever put in that much work, maybe very early employees; as he said, the trick is to be painting your own house... Having said that, I completely agree that long hours are overrated and maybe unhealthy. Burnout will follow. Everyone has to recover. Such long stints can only be kept up for so long!

Is that true? I avoided ever joining startups because I assumed everyone worked 60 hours every week.

Re: How do you make programmers work 60-80 hours per week?

#26

Post by brogrammernot »

TP4Cornholio wrote: post #25
simplydt wrote: post #8

I think it follows from Brian's point that only founders may ever put in that much work, maybe very early employees; as he said, the trick is to be painting your own house... Having said that, I completely agree that long hours are overrated and maybe unhealthy. Burnout will follow. Everyone has to recover. Such long stints can only be kept up for so long!

Is that true? I avoided ever joining startups because I assumed everyone worked 60 hours every week.

To an extent, yes.

However, I would say typical early stage startup work is 55 hours/week.

Basically 10 hours day through the week, and a couple hours on the weekend.

Re: How do you make programmers work 60-80 hours per week?

#27

Post by zitterbewegung »

houst0n_ wrote: post #12
balls187 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Running teams of contractors for years, I disagree it's uncommon. I let my guys do whatever they want as long as the work is being delivered. I agree with this statement. I would amend it to say "As long as the work they signed up for is being delivered."

Who is 'they' in that case? They for me is whoever is paying us to help them with their business. If it's the contractors/team members then no. Ive unfortunately had several highly paid (4 figures uk/day) contractors who think themselves above certain tasks, or who refuse to do anything they didn't agree with who seem surprised when they get told to fuck off. You're an overpaid contract dev and you're refusing to imp…

In the United States there are strict definitions between contract roles (1099) and employees because it determines how you are taxed . I agree about the above certain tasks thing though.

Re: How do you make programmers work 60-80 hours per week?

#28

Post by Buge »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #23
tudorconstantin wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because you know that you go full throttle for 3-5 years and then you have the possibility to retire. I would sacrifice 5 years of my life in order to get financial freedom for the rest of it.

Would you sacrifice five years of your life if the odds of a financially independent exit was less than 10%? Less than 10% of startups succeed, and that's before breaking that cohort into startups that barely succeed and ones that'll leave you independently wealthy.

If you're being paid $200/hr it doesn't depend on the exit.

Re: How do you make programmers work 60-80 hours per week?

#30

Post by TP4Cornholio »

brogrammernot wrote: post #26
TP4Cornholio wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that true? I avoided ever joining startups because I assumed everyone worked 60 hours every week.

To an extent, yes. However, I would say typical early stage startup work is 55 hours/week. Basically 10 hours day through the week, and a couple hours on the weekend.

What's your experience on the average workweek for mid/later stage startups?
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