Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened (2001) [pdf]

web.mit.edu

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 446 posts

Re: Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened (2001) [pdf]

#51

Post by bmacho »

hakunin wrote: post #27

I've been contemplating the issue in the headline, as pertains to my value. When I help somebody in 40 mins with something they've been stuck on for 3 months, my value is clear to everyone. When I work there the whole time, and nobody ever gets stuck for 3 months, my value is unclear. Don't know how to deal with this paradox.

> Don't know how to deal with this paradox.

Think that it is the management's fault if they misjudge you. They have the chance to judge you correctly, yet they misjudge you. Their fault entirely.

Re: Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened (2001) [pdf]

#52

Post by somethoughts »

hakunin wrote: post #27

I've been contemplating the issue in the headline, as pertains to my value. When I help somebody in 40 mins with something they've been stuck on for 3 months, my value is clear to everyone. When I work there the whole time, and nobody ever gets stuck for 3 months, my value is unclear. Don't know how to deal with this paradox.

One approach to showing value is as follows:

1.) Create a spreadsheet with all of the features of your group's/company's products(s) listed in rows.

2.) Create a column for every team member in the group and highlight the lead developers for each feature.

3.) Then ask each team member to add a checkmark in their column for every feature for which they would be willing to be on hook for 24x7 triage pager duty.

Over the long term - the most valuable contributor(s) on the team will be the one(s) with the most checkmarks next to the features they led development on (i.e. they write understandable code and document well) combined with the most checkmarked rows in their column (i.e. they proactively seek to understand other peoples codebases).

Re: Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened (2001) [pdf]

#53

Post by [deleted] »

hakunin wrote: post #27

I've been contemplating the issue in the headline, as pertains to my value. When I help somebody in 40 mins with something they've been stuck on for 3 months, my value is clear to everyone. When I work there the whole time, and nobody ever gets stuck for 3 months, my value is unclear. Don't know how to deal with this paradox.

[deleted]

Re: Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened (2001) [pdf]

#54

Post by diatone »

esafak wrote: post #20

This happens in organizations that don't measure and respect precursors or leading indicators of success/failure -- organizations that do not practice organizational observability, to coin a phrase. Which is to say, most of them, because this is not something one thinks of until one has suffered its absence. Your managers have to think like SREs, and be technically sophisticated enough to model and address this probl…

This is a great insight, the idea that management has to look at leading indicators for the org itself. Makes me think that beyond line management, a manger’s job is to behave as an investor and steward of the org, instead of getting involved in the details.

Not a management book per se, but Working Backwards popularised an Amazon approach of thinking about the organisation in terms of mechanisms. You might find that useful.

I’ve always wanted to dig into Scarlet Ink, Dave Anderson’s blog, but never have, and I suspect it’ll be quite useful for you too.

Re: Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened (2001) [pdf]

#55

Post by jcadam »

konfusinomicon wrote: post #22
gumby wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a very important case. There was an enormous investment in fixing Y2K, starting long before the day in question (e.g. financial instruments with expiration dates after Y2K had to be fixed before they became due), so on the day there was only a smattering of minor residual bugs. There were a few jokes about it in the newspapers but by and large the public just ignored it. I work on climate and hope / hoped tha…

I'm sure I'm not the only one that can't wait for the 2038 problem to get closer. bank accounts gonna be jumping like a 3-peat Micheal Jordan when those consultation fee checks start rolling in.. provided the Boston Dynamics dogs haven't taken over yet

Java EE will be the COBOL of 2037...

Re: Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened (2001) [pdf]

#56

Post by sodapopcan »

syndicatedjelly wrote: post #31
runamuck wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Easy - half a$$ your code and when it breaks - swoop in, "fix things" (actually do it right) and play the role of hero! (I've seen so-called "Rock Stars" at places I worked do this over and over)

Would you feel good about being that kind of engineer, if the external validation was great enough?

When the external validation is monetary then you gotta do what you gotta do.

Re: Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened (2001) [pdf]

#57

Post by [deleted] »

hakunin wrote: post #27

I've been contemplating the issue in the headline, as pertains to my value. When I help somebody in 40 mins with something they've been stuck on for 3 months, my value is clear to everyone. When I work there the whole time, and nobody ever gets stuck for 3 months, my value is unclear. Don't know how to deal with this paradox.

[deleted]

Re: Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened (2001) [pdf]

#58

Post by Pikamander2 »

ortusdux wrote: post #38
hakunin wrote: post #27

I've been contemplating the issue in the headline, as pertains to my value. When I help somebody in 40 mins with something they've been stuck on for 3 months, my value is clear to everyone. When I work there the whole time, and nobody ever gets stuck for 3 months, my value is unclear. Don't know how to deal with this paradox.

See also: The Locksmith's Paradox - https://medium.com/@pk.patrick.kelly/the-locksmith-paradox-6...

"When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all."

Re: Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened (2001) [pdf]

#59

Post by shoo »

NovemberWhiskey wrote: post #15
thfuran wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a ton of reactionary legislation on the books that exists pretty much entirely because politicians wanted to be seen doing something. It's mostly crap.

Yeah, the legendary politician's fallacy: 1) We must do something. 2) This is something. 3) Therefore, we must do this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vidzkYnaf6Y

Re: Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened (2001) [pdf]

#60

Post by Vecr »

cpill wrote: post #49
brazzy wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing is: it's very easy to play up the likelihood and severity of problems that are entirely imaginary. This can be just a bad habit, but also a deliberate tactic. In either case, a lot of effort, time, money, etc. is wasted. Waiting for something to actually happen before allocating resources to preventing it is (to some degree) a rational policy.

yeah that to the Ai doomers who are making six figures off of it

The argument there is that waiting for "it" to happen would be way too late. Especially if "it" is a billion people are dead and the rest of the people don't have much time.
Post reply on HN