Yep. I'm sure there are comlabies out there that don't suck, but I haven't found them yet.
Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
41–50 of 733 posts
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#42I hate both programming and software engineering, but I love money, flexible work schedules, and no risk of falling off a roof while on the job.
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#43I think I'm the opposite. I like solving problems as part of a team, evaluating different tradeoffs and approaches, figuring out what people need from the software and how to get it there as simply and cheaply as possible. It's very engaging with no easily identifiable "best" or "optimal" in most cases. Actually dealing with code is a pain in the ass. It's better than digging a ditch for ten hours a day but not reall…
And thats great.
The best functioning teams mix a set of people, with a diverse set of qualities, quirks, interests and disinterests.
And work to accommodate them all.
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#44One thing I've realized is that a lot of people I know don't actually like programming or software engineering in general. A lot of my coworkers just do it because it's the tool they need to do their job (like using a hammer). It's tough because I love programming and geeking out about it, but it feels like no one around me feels the same way
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#45The fun part is mainly dependent on the leaders and culture. If they are serious about agile then you finally fit/assimilate into that work style. But without opportunities to communicate, like for e.g. constructively discuss or debate, things will start to appear stale. That is where I think the excitement takes a plunge.
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
>> 5 people on a system that has about 40 users Gosh, that is expensive software!
Every company needs internal software of some description, and sometimes you're doing unique stuff that can't simply be purchased off the shelf. I mean the extreme case is a developer writing scripts they only use themselves, which would be a 1:1 ratio.
Surely the extreme case is whole teams working on software only one person uses
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#47> I have come to a realization that I don't really enjoy Software Engineering(& the processes that it comes with) but I do love programming & solving problems. I can almost guarantee that you’re just at the wrong company. Some software companies can turn even the simplest tasks into a grueling series of processes, endless meetings, and joint work across a big number of “stakeholders”. These companies will take the jo…
I agree and I would suggest trying small companies or very early stage startups (with less than 10 Software developers). You get to program a lo, but not all goods though. A lot of context change and you have to also think about product and design, so it’s not just programming. Also the risk of the company not existing in a year. But, for me, it’s perfect.
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#48Software engineering != feature factories, bodyshops, most big tech and mid tech projects, etc. There are not so many people consistently doing software engineering.
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#49The process that comes with it is there to organize the work and align it with the organization's goals. It can be agile, kanban, waterfall with big upfront design, it doesn't really matter what methodology is used, its there to organize the work. For large and/or existing systems, without that glue there would be programmers running amok solving problems they like to solve with whatever shiny things they want to use. I'm sure without guardrails there are a lot of engineers that would re-write all the code they didn't like, building their own bike sheds all over the place.
Sounds like maybe startups would be your jam. Not a lot of legacy stuff to work on, lots of bouncing around to different types of tasks, shit breaks a lot, etc.
The other idea is more of devops/systems stuff working with the cloud. Lots of solving problems with code (orchestrating cloud resources w/code) with not a lot of Project Manager overhead in the right environment. Lot of incident response.
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
>> 5 people on a system that has about 40 users Gosh, that is expensive software!
That's weird way to look at it. It's about value, not cost. For all we know that 40 user system manages the entire logistics of a national shipping company and saves them 50x the ops cost. Still think its expensive? Or maybe it's a corporate risk register with significant potential regulatory and reputational harm attached to each risk. Still costly?
I didn’t intend to suggest that the software does not have a positive ROI.
Some applications (control systems, etc.) have no users the traditional sense.