You should consider stepping back and spending 25 or 50% time mentoring instead of coding. But what I've found is that it's REALLY hard to do something 20% without doing it 100%, so perhaps a few weeks (months) of NO coding, then starting to code again.
Tell HN: The loneliness of a pretty good developer
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Re: Tell HN: The loneliness of a pretty good developer
#72Why are you working 8-5? Work 9-3 and pick up a hobby. You only need to outperform your peers, or train them up if that's possible. Beyond that you owe the company you work for nothing. Why work harder, when working harder provides you no benefit whatsoever?
I've had the same debate myself. Honestly, not counting crazy hectic meeting days I could work 9-3 and still produce more than others. The only thing stopping me is the feeling that if I'm getting paid I should be working. However, I know that if I worked 9-3 my personal well-being would improve.
you need to see a therapist about feeling guilty about overworking.
You only need to work as much as whats required, nothing more. If you can close off your assigned 'tickets' etc, given each sprint, do so, then rest. Your personal well-being is #1.
Re: Tell HN: The loneliness of a pretty good developer
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
As in teaching college courses or other developers? Currently I train new developers with all the tools we are using, and our CI/CD process. I mentor one new hire in six month cycles, and yesterday I got an intern mentee. I also write a lot of technical docs mainly as a way to explain to others how different parts of the system function. As I make code changes, I update the docs as my own personal definition of done.…
Teaching other developers. Maybe open a youtube channel for teaching programming, but for more senior techniques, i.e, how to build a robust software, approach to testing, error handling, logging, etc.
I debated starting a Youtube channel. I don't think I'm that special. I truly believe that what sets me apart is that I have good processes to get me working, asked a lot of questions to developers I admired as I was learning and read a lot of code to figure out how things work.
It would probably be cool to explain that to others. I enjoy talking about the developer mindset I possess when mentoring Jr Devs that cycle through with me.
Re: Tell HN: The loneliness of a pretty good developer
#74[deleted]
Re: Tell HN: The loneliness of a pretty good developer
#75Tldr; Start coding less. Start teaching more.
It is super fantastic that you have been able to learn, grow, and achieve so much. You do sound like a super star. It also sounds like you have reached a point where transition is required.
I respectfully disagree with those who say "get a new job". This may be a good idea, but it is certainly not a solution to your issues which are very likely to come with you wherever you go.
I suggest that you stop contributing so much under your own name, and start helping others contribute under their names. "Not much grows under a great oak". You may be casting a shadow that makes it hard for your colleagues to grow?
10x developers are awesome, but very hard to scale. Far more powerful are the "super colleagues" who make everyone around them 5x better. Add a 10x developer to a team of 10 and you 2x the team's output. Add a super colleague to the same team and output rises by 5x.
Re: Tell HN: The loneliness of a pretty good developer
#76No post body was provided.
Re: Tell HN: The loneliness of a pretty good developer
#77From the looks of it you _are_ being challenged, just not in the way you expected. > The worst part is I am sensing within myself this frustration that everyone else appears to move so slowly. The thought of "great, one more thing I got to fix" is coming up too frequently. I find it very respectable that you are so self-aware. In my worldview, stronger shoulders should carry more weight, but that also means that you…
A very interesting point of view.
A theme in replies is that I should be teaching / helping others. I do that in terms of advice, but I am starting to realize that I need to focus more on not giving the right answer, but explaining how I go to it, and ideally solve the problem for everyone if I can.
Re: Tell HN: The loneliness of a pretty good developer
#78If this is earnest, I don't mean to minimize your angst, but I thought this was satire. Measuring by number of commits or story points completed is bureaucratic nonsense. What you're describing is not a 10x developer, but a really good bureaucrat, like Hermes Conrad.
As others have said, get a new job. Prioritize finding colleagues that are better than you are.
Re: Tell HN: The loneliness of a pretty good developer
#79Are you Fabrice Bellard?
Re: Tell HN: The loneliness of a pretty good developer
#80Quoted post unavailable.
More than that one guy we all had to work with one time and wished we didn't? The one who bigs himself up over how much he knows, insists on making himself a constant obstacle to gratify his fragile ego, and that's why nobody actually wants to work with him?
Yeah, I don't know why it should come as a surprise that hiring managers don't especially like that guy. No one else does either.