Being on call and in a constant state of readiness to troubleshoot problems is tiresome. Even if problems rarely occur, the constant awareness of potential responsibility can quickly lead to burn out. The medical field has known this for a long time, and as a result, physicians get paid a lot of money to take extra call coverage. This is a very neglected topic of discussion within software development.
Ask HN: What are some of the dark sides of being in the tech industry?
11–20 of 97 posts
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the dark sides of being in the tech industry?
#12The interview process for developer/engineering roles.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the dark sides of being in the tech industry?
#13Having to build technology that attempts to manipulate humans and call it "Deep Learning".
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the dark sides of being in the tech industry?
#14Being viewed as a cost center rather than a revenue generator if you're not in a tech centric company.
Having best practice and common sense ignored by management in the name of expediency and then being blamed for the results (going over budget, building something the client doesn't want, being late on delivery)
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the dark sides of being in the tech industry?
#15Separate point : tech industry tends to make one delusional about ones abilities (usually overestimation of intelligence)
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the dark sides of being in the tech industry?
#16The undeniable urge to solve all problems in life with a new app
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the dark sides of being in the tech industry?
#17There is an expectation and honestly a need to keep up with changes to the industry that I haven't seen in other fields. Any older dev has had to transition at least 1-2 languages and it's not an easy step. That doesn't even start covering how fast javascript frameworks are moving. Oh, hey you learned Angular, that's so 3 years ago we don't do that here. We use Vue.js which is better because _________. Vue will be replaced and you'll have to learn something else. If you don't like constantly learning then you'll burn out. On TOP of that most jobs expect you to work and learn this on your own. Which leads to a ton of 9-5 developers who refuse, or other developers who make sacrifices to stay on top of things.
It can also lead to franken-apps which have angular -> react -> vue all in one. (Pause to take a breath) I love developing, but there is a lot to learn. I only stay on top of the industry for about 6 months out of every year. It works for me.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the dark sides of being in the tech industry?
#18Intentional dehumanization in the name of delivery/progress/development.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the dark sides of being in the tech industry?
#19Being on call and in a constant state of readiness to troubleshoot problems is tiresome. Even if problems rarely occur, the constant awareness of potential responsibility can quickly lead to burn out. The medical field has known this for a long time, and as a result, physicians get paid a lot of money to take extra call coverage. This is a very neglected topic of discussion within software development.
This is a very important point but oft neglected too. I wish more people speak out about this.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the dark sides of being in the tech industry?
#20Creative license: the trend i have seen at startups is moving more in the direction of product and designer control over the things a company creates. For developers seeking control over their creations, this can be a frustrating thing to be a part of. Even at small startups, the value of designers and product managers is pretty obvious. It can be tough to find the right balance of control there.
Sexism: this is a tough topic. I worry that the people who care are not part of the problem, yet they tend to beat themselves up about it more than those who arguably should. I want more of everyone in tech, but to a large extent my ability to affect change in this area is crippled insofar as i have a job at a startup which requires lots of hours.
Hours/Appreciation: I've been a part of a few startups where employees, especially engineers, care more than they arguably should. High senses of responsibility are amazing assets for a company, but they rarely get appreciated as much as they deserve. When leaders see lagging growth or declining numbers, they try to incite urgency in the ranks. Those working the hardest often take that urgency to heart the most, which can leave them feeling really disheartened that their above-and-beyond efforts to this point have gone unrecognized.
I'll close on a positive by saying that i love the tech and startup industries. They provide so many people opportunities they wouldn't have had otherwise. Like every industry, there are problems. Picking the size and culture of the company you work at changes the landscape of those problems, so be conscious which you are sensitive to and choose accordingly. If you are happy to trade reduction in control for stability, bigger companies probably your jam, for instance.