How to Not Get Screwed over as a Software Engineer [video]

Post by yoyohello13 » Thu, Nov 02, 2023, 7:53 PM UTC

fatherzine wrote: post #129

zoogeny wrote: post #76

The intro of that video hit hard and hurt. I have literally been in that position where I built the analytics page, which marketing asked for, and I can see the analytics for the analytics and no one has even checked the page. And so I chime in asking if anyone else has noticed that our big product release is not going anywhere and its like crickets. You realize that from your position that you have no ability to hol…

"you have no ability to hold others accountable" -- true for all levels of the human stack

Post by paxys » Thu, Nov 02, 2023, 7:55 PM UTC

slap_shot wrote: post #80

Xeoncross wrote: post #2

As a higher income earner I've always found it important to spend the money to ask a Lawyer, CPA, second Doctor, Mentor, Coache, Inspector, and other people focused on a certain niche in life what they think for the $100/hr (or whatever) fee they charge. Always been worth it. If you're focused on tech, make sure you've hired the right people to review your NDA's, startup contract, new home purchase, or workout routin…

I'll second the opinion of having your contracts reviewed, but will curb some expectations: most contracts (NDAs, employment agreements, home contracts etc) are fairly standard. There may be some small points to negotiate if they are off-market, but you had better have the leverage to negotiate.

Post by opportune » Thu, Nov 02, 2023, 7:58 PM UTC

ldjkfkdsjnv wrote: post #3

How to get rich in tech as a mediocre programmer: 1. Transfer to a TPM/QA Manager role at somewhere like Amazon or Microsoft. Bar is much lower to get into this role. 2. Get hired into a higher level than you could in a SWE role. 3. Transfer within the company to being an SDM 4. Now you are one level higher, in a management role, that would have taken you 5+ years of grinding and some luck to get into. 5. Spend a few…

Post by lazide » Thu, Nov 02, 2023, 7:59 PM UTC

dauertewigkeit wrote: post #35

smokel wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only a few people who were in the right place at the right time and struck AI gold got lucky. Many PhDs have been slaving away and metaphorically died in several harsh AI winters. Nothing to be jealous of. There are several examples of people who got lucky with infrastructure or more technical engineering, but it is not because of their perceived role or something superficial.

That is part of the hero narrative that I am also lamenting. If there are 100 possible research directions and only 1 proves successful. The people who travel along the other 99 get no recognition, despite expending the same effort and despite their contribution being just as important.

Post by bmitc » Thu, Nov 02, 2023, 8:01 PM UTC

PH95VuimJjqBqy wrote: post #79

dauertewigkeit wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is part of the hero narrative that I am also lamenting. If there are 100 possible research directions and only 1 proves successful. The people who travel along the other 99 get no recognition, despite expending the same effort and despite their contribution being just as important.

why is their contribution important? Is it your supposition that the only reason the person who went down the successful path did so purely because they watched everyone else fail? That seems highly unfair to the successful person.