My Personal Creed of Employment

Does not have to be that way. I did feel that way when I was still doing web apps, but I left that ten years ago, and still look back on that decision in fondness.

I am making "things" now. I'm on the software side, but it's tightly integrated with the hardware side of an actual thing, that people can use. For some reason, much of the bullshit in web development just does not apply in that situation. I still care. I had to adjust what exactly I'm working on a few times, but then I still care.

One passage I noticed in the article is that the author contemplates the question "could I make this app just myself", and the answer being along the lines of "yes, but then I'd have to deal with all the marketing and so on". In my case, the answer is a resounding no. The complexity is so high that you absolutely need multiple teams, some that work on pieces essentially distinct from other teams.

Maybe that is a factor? The fact that I can only work on a specific piece of the thing anyway, but can own that to a high degree? Does that make me feel "part of something" myself? I don't know.

The other passage I noticed was "don't rewrite things". That just does not apply to my work at all. Me, my teammates, and other teams have rewritten plenty of stuff. Some of these attempts failed, but for those that did not fail I remember many times where I and others were glad that we did not have to deal with the old code anymore, that had just grown in complexity from now illfitting beginnings.

Rewriting is a regular part of all of our jobs, and without that we had probably become mad by now.

I came back to the office this week - I was very much dreading it. The long drive, the in-person BS, etc. While it’s not been as bad as I may have thought, your words here have been a worthwhile lens to view the return and why I continue to enjoy this particular job.

Thanks.

We're all just people wearing funny rings!

Hardware development is fundamentally different and so is the software that goes along with it. When you have a firmware deadline dictated by a production schedule, it leaves a lot less room for feature and scope creep because there is a final "done"(-ish) state. Any changes to the firmware after the product has shipped are far more expensive and risky than starting a CI/CD build.

With the deadline, there is pressure to push employees as the production deadline approaches. In software where you and all your competitors can push changes to production at any time, that pressure exists 100% of the time - sort of like on a factory floor.

Edit: The other side of it is that hardware production depends on standardization far more than software. Once you have designed a part and a manufacturing process around it, the ROI of designing a new alternative is usually negative compared to improving part of the manufacturing process.

> Keep private life private.

I kind of agree here but also feel like it could be isolating. Part of forming meaningful relationships that make you more successful is sharing some intimate things. It’s a double-edged sword of course, you can ultimately regret some things you’ve shared or said. That being said, I think it’s ultimately a net positive because good relationships allow you to be more effective in the workplace (eg people may be more willing to listen to the problems you surface of solutions you propose).

Awesome list though.