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Becoming a high performing software developer working from your bedroom

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Re: Becoming a high performing software developer working from your bedroom

#221

Post by dionidium »

sailfast wrote: post #195
jonny383 wrote: post #105

As someone who developed their career from the comfort of their bedroom, I always find it very interesting to see people all over the world from different cultures experiencing the same basic issues with this kind of work set up. I absolutely loved working from my bedroom for years. It was great (despite the common down falls like the ones listed here). My family used to make fun of me at parties and seasonal celebra…

Working in a different room (NOT your bedroom) is critically important to me. Sometimes it's fun to kick back and code, but the separate space that is yours, optimized for work, and assigned mentally to work is useful in that you can walk away from it and also leave your work behind. Going to bed at night with your laptop stashed close by does not inspire relaxation / restfulness.

I recently started working from home, which coincided with a move. This is the specific reason I insisted on a two-bedroom apartment. I think it's made a big difference. I was remote before this, but had a private office in a WeWork, which I went to everyday, even though it wasn't required. This kind of separation is crucial.

Re: Becoming a high performing software developer working from your bedroom

#222

Post by balfirevic »

jborichevskiy wrote: post #142
superbrane wrote: post #14

Here's another angle - not saying it's correct, just different. Why would you want to perfect working from your bedroom? It's ok to WFH for a while, but i would not recommend perfecting it long term. As a human being you should be looking to interact and socialize with other humans, in person, as well - this makes us better humans, more empathetic, more understanding to the needs and pains of others.

> As a human being you should be looking to interact and socialize with other humans, in person, as well - this makes us better humans, more empathetic, more understanding to the needs and pains of others. Half a year plus of a remote work now - I'd argue I have a healthier social life now compared to before when working at an office. I actually have energy after work to go out for dinners and meetups and develop/mai…

Is it because you work less, or because of no commute, or something else?

Re: Becoming a high performing software developer working from your bedroom

#223

Post by logicalmind »

jldugger wrote: post #215

Any home office post that doesn't mention leafblower noise mitigation is unprepared for the rest of society =(

Cities near me have banned the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. Not specifically because of the noise, but this is a good side effect.

Re: Becoming a high performing software developer working from your bedroom

#224

Post by vsareto »

ghostbrainalpha wrote: post #203
rjkennedy98 wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, and some of us reject it. When you work with people you never or rarely meet in person loneliness can be a big issue. If you have addiction problems, having the freedom to drink, game, smoke, ect whenever you want can also be a huge issue. Yes, not having a commute can be great, but if you are young you can usually find apartments close to your work (I bike to work for instance). What I feel is best is having th…

The addiction thing was what got me. I got into a bullshit mobile game, I didn't think it was a big deal to just leave it open all day while I worked. Checking in between every email, and every commit, to make sure I was perfectly optimizing my in game economy. Eventually I became one of the top players in the world and was spending 4.5 hours a day just to keep my spot in the top 100.

Recognized global standing is incredibly addictive in games, actually

If I placed in a world tournament in Smash Bros that was streamed, then I went on to bomb the next 5 tournaments, I'd probably still be trying to get that glory again

Re: Becoming a high performing software developer working from your bedroom

#225

Post by nabnob »

codingdave wrote: post #46

> You would think that the more time you spend working, the more results you produce. No, if you are a remote worker who sits at a desk and forces yourself to work at specific times solely because you feel you should be working, you are doing it wrong. Go the other way. Figure out what times naturally work best for you, and work at those times. If you are sluggish in the afternoon, take breaks. Work early mornings, l…

>Go the other way. Figure out what times naturally work best for you, and work at those times.

As someone with a tendency to procrastinate, this advice would easily turn into an excuse to avoid working at all. The best advice I ever got is that you don't need to feel motivated to do something - waiting to feel motivated is a trap. I think self-discipline is really important for remote work or working on personal projects at home.

Re: Becoming a high performing software developer working from your bedroom

#226

Post by danial »

quantguy11959 wrote: post #205

What are some good ways to avoid distractions? I often find myself watching YouTube/Netflix or on steam for endless hours before realizing it

I find that reducing the number of decision making events by relying on a routine helps. When and where are you endlessly watching Youtube or Netflix? Is it the first thing in the morning after you grab your phone or is it happening at your desk. Depending on the answer, you want to establish a routine so you don't have to think about what you want to do next.

Let's say it's your phone first thing in the morning that is causing this problem. You could put your phone and charger far away from your bed. Then establish a sequence of actions that take you from bed to desk, without getting anywhere near your phone.

This is not an all-or-nothing method, where you fail even if you miss one step in the sequence in your routine. You start by making one or two adjustments and then build on your success.

Re: Becoming a high performing software developer working from your bedroom

#227

Post by ticmasta »

poulsbohemian wrote: post #206
jbb123 wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> low to medium risk areas and average 10 - 15% per year. Where can I get this return reliably at "low risk"?

There are places in the US where this is the rate of appreciation on real estate. While there are periodic setbacks (see: 2008-2012), real estate is remarkably stable across the country, especially in major cities. The small, somewhat rural area I live in had an average appreciation of 13% last year, which is not sustainable for this area but still indicative of the overall trend.

and you know lots of real estate deals that are low risk, pay 10-15% and available for participation @ $100 / week?

>> an average appreciation of 13% last year, which is not sustainable for this area but still indicative of the overall trend.

not sustainable but indicative of the overall trend? What does that even mean?

Re: Becoming a high performing software developer working from your bedroom

#228

Post by danial »

jldugger wrote: post #215

Any home office post that doesn't mention leafblower noise mitigation is unprepared for the rest of society =(

Indeed. I have these for yard cleanup days and garbage days:

https://twitter.com/danialranjha/status/1212991364142551041

Re: Becoming a high performing software developer working from your bedroom

#229

Post by mnm1 »

codingdave wrote: post #46

> You would think that the more time you spend working, the more results you produce. No, if you are a remote worker who sits at a desk and forces yourself to work at specific times solely because you feel you should be working, you are doing it wrong. Go the other way. Figure out what times naturally work best for you, and work at those times. If you are sluggish in the afternoon, take breaks. Work early mornings, l…

I agree, but my employer runs a scrum meeting each morning. I've talked to them about moving the time later, but they are inflexible. Thus, I typically work starting at that time until quitting time. It's far from my most productive time, but it's forced upon me. They get whatever productivity I can scrounge up. If that's not much because I'm not working at peak hours, and often working at the worst possible hours for productivity, that's their problem. If they were flexible with this inane, pointless, stupid meeting, they would get productivity. Instead, they only get it when I need to do other things during the day, simply by coincidence. It's frankly amazing to me how employers ignore little changes that could impact things in a major way. But they do it on purpose. No one expects peak productivity anyway, and if they do, they really need to provide the incentives towards that goal. Otherwise, they get what they get, whether that be a new feature or bugfix or a few hours of HN. It's a crap-shoot. Whatever, it's literally not my business and therefore, I do not give a fuck about productivity since there are no incentives to do so.

Re: Becoming a high performing software developer working from your bedroom

#230

Post by poulsbohemian »

ticmasta wrote: post #227
poulsbohemian wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are places in the US where this is the rate of appreciation on real estate. While there are periodic setbacks (see: 2008-2012), real estate is remarkably stable across the country, especially in major cities. The small, somewhat rural area I live in had an average appreciation of 13% last year, which is not sustainable for this area but still indicative of the overall trend.

and you know lots of real estate deals that are low risk, pay 10-15% and available for participation @ $100 / week? >> an average appreciation of 13% last year, which is not sustainable for this area but still indicative of the overall trend. not sustainable but indicative of the overall trend? What does that even mean?

It means we aren't going to see 13% every year in my localized market, but we will see a continued upward march - where the data from the past 30 years bears that out. Other markets like Seattle, given the geography and current restrictions it isn't much of a jump to think you could average a 10% appreciation for the next decade.

I don't recall anyone saying anything about participation @ $100 / week, so don't be flippant. The comment was made about low risk at 10-15%. If you had $100/week to spend, I'd put it in a drip and buy pharma stocks because there are many paying a sizable dividend, but I'm not your broker so get your own advice.

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