Software engineering != feature factories, bodyshops, most big tech and mid tech projects, etc. There are not so many people consistently doing software engineering .
What does Software Engineering actually mean then?
Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
61–70 of 733 posts
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#62[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#63I have found SDET type roles to be good.
At least where I have worked testing is just as process and meeting driven but the meeting are focused on test coverage not the test tool dev aspect. So I get to hack together new test tools in whatever way I like. The only process bit is I have to document how to use it well enough that someone else could run the test case.
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#64I'm relatively young in my career, Recently this year I switched to a job that gives me hard problems to solve and turns me loose on them. I still need to attend standup and planning meetings but management is very hands off and respects my time. My productivity and love for my job has multiplied incredibly.
I think management can be a force multiplier or a complete anchor depending on their attitude. Some people need to be managed to be kept on task but for a lot of us who have a love for programming a hands off approach is much better in my opinion.
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#65The 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…
That's called code review, you don't need any "agile" for it. Agile is used to micromanage engineers to push out crap features, optimizing for the two week return, with poor results in the longer term. The people running amok are layman "agile coaches", "business analysts" and "product owners". While poor engineers are prevented from doing necessary non-feature work.
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#66> 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 can almost guarantee that you’re just at the wrong company. Even if this is true (which it most likely is), there's no guarantee the company you move to (in your quest of finding "the right company") won't either a) also be the wrong company again right off the bat or b) become the wrong company again. I've kind of just given up. I've accepted I'm basically a "technical plumber". Take data from this system/vendor…
I'm in the same boat, and I just want to say: we should try to be grateful. For the vast majority of people, what matters in life is what is outside of work, and maybe it's because I grew up in an impoverished rural area but earning low six figures to do a fairly simple job for a few decades and not breaking our bodies doing a physical trade, working remotely..
I think about my ancestors a lot, toiling in fields and fighting in horrific wars
We have it good, we really do
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
>> 5 people on a system that has about 40 users Gosh, that is expensive software!
Seriously. It’s hard to imagine a group of 40 people that would need a sufficient velocity of changes/new features to warrant 5 full time engineers.
From my experience, this is pretty common in AI
Internal tools used by a dozen or a couple dozen AI engineers/Data Scientists, the models they output used by millions. It's totally worth keeping 5-10 person engineering team to create better and stronger tools that make upgrading and deploying new models easier and faster
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#68I hate entrepise softwares, matrix organizations, SaaS products, sales teams and sales architects but I enjoy developing, making products, helping business users, so these days, I am wondering why I even stay in this fields. Switzerland is a rather small market, and I don't feel that going back to France would be great. So just stuck in my daily routine...
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#69I just hate the interview process and working with antisocial teammates, love everything about the field
Re: Ask HN: Do you hate software engineering but love programming?
#70> 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 concur, I even wrote this down as I found it therapeutic. https://www.lloydatkinson.net/posts/2022/my-thoughts-on-what...