“Well, He’s Not Going to Get Very Far” • Hacker News Board

Re: “Well, He’s Not Going to Get Very Far”

#81

Post by bjustin » Thu, May 02, 2013, 9:10 PM UTC

bcoates wrote: post #37

VLM wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which shows the perfect meaninglessness of the netflix slide, the cognitive dissonance of it. "We fire all B performers regardless of effort". Think about that. Pretend you don't know what netflix does. I hope nuclear reactors are run by people like that. Oh that sounds like a good slogan for an open heart surgeon. Secret service agents? No, you say? Hmm how about space shuttle tile installation specialist? I've got…

I think you might be reading a little much into the slide. I think it's obvious that the point is you get no credit for effort expended: you either deliver what is expected of you or you don't. Also, I'm not sure what hellish grading system you're used to where "A" means "1% elite". In most contexts, it means "competent": A student at most educational institutions in the US can expect an A if they grasped the class m…

I had a professional development class in college where A, B and C players were defined. "A player" meant you would shoot-for-the-moon, process be damned. You would be a constant source of disruption. That can work in the short term, but a sustainable business is not build with only "A players". Building products and services, and especially supporting them, takes work that "A players" don't want to do. You need "B players" for day-to-day work. They can range from excellent at their work to just competent. "C players" are the ones who nobody wants, incompetent and/or interpersonal disasters.

The Netflix stance of only hiring "A" people is obviously does not work with this definition. If you get 2000 "A players" together for more than a short time, your organization will fall apart. Everyone would try to get to the top and make the company follow their vision. If they can't, they will move on sooner than later.

Re: “Well, He’s Not Going to Get Very Far”

#82

Post by mcherm » Thu, May 02, 2013, 11:27 PM UTC

grappler wrote: post #80

mcherm wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How was your next job? Better? Worse?

Better, but only slightly. At the extreme other end from pairing, I worked very independently. I had a nice system worked out for how I like to organize repositories, data, logs, installations etc. That takes some setup work but it pays off for me if I'm able to organize things this way up front. I was thrilled at the hands off treatment I was getting, as I read documentation and integrated each new piece of the syst…

Good managers give their employees either advice and oversight or autonomy and empowerment recognizing when each is needed to get the job done as quickly as possible.

Truly excellent managers do so in such a way that the employee develops and improves.

Hopefully you'll get a manager like that. Oh, and stop trying to be perfect: it doesn't work. http://moz.com/rand/expectation-of-100-percent/

Re: “Well, He’s Not Going to Get Very Far”

#83

Post by tekromancr » Fri, May 03, 2013, 2:01 AM UTC

rdl wrote: post #65

tekromancr wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's actually the situation I am in. I also feel like any time that I spend researching a solution (reading Blogs, Articles, Building POCs) isn't something that I should bill for. If I had done the same, but I had to go to an office, I wouldn't hesitate to report those hours. I guess it's because the former doesn't "feel" like work.

I'd generally take half my normal on-site rate to work from home. Although I'd also take a discounted rate to go to interesting places (assuming travel paid, but even then, it might be a discount), or a surcharge to go somewhere uninteresting and on short notice. I'd absolutely do IT/satellite stuff in Antarctica if I had nothing else I had to be doing, just for the experience (although I think it also pays decently,…

In a heartbeat! I would do it for 20, but I find the idea of living in Antarctica pretty exciting.

Re: “Well, He’s Not Going to Get Very Far”

#84

Post by grappler » Fri, May 03, 2013, 2:12 AM UTC

mcherm wrote: post #82

grappler wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Better, but only slightly. At the extreme other end from pairing, I worked very independently. I had a nice system worked out for how I like to organize repositories, data, logs, installations etc. That takes some setup work but it pays off for me if I'm able to organize things this way up front. I was thrilled at the hands off treatment I was getting, as I read documentation and integrated each new piece of the syst…

Good managers give their employees either advice and oversight or autonomy and empowerment recognizing when each is needed to get the job done as quickly as possible. Truly excellent managers do so in such a way that the employee develops and improves. Hopefully you'll get a manager like that. Oh, and stop trying to be perfect: it doesn't work. http://moz.com/rand/expectation-of-100-percent/

I'm thinking now of how nice a time the person replacing me at that last job is going to have. They'll try the documented way to start services and run tests, and those things will work on the first try. You're welcome, whoever you are :)

Re: “Well, He’s Not Going to Get Very Far”

#85

Post by rdl » Fri, May 03, 2013, 3:23 AM UTC

tekromancr wrote: post #83

rdl wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd generally take half my normal on-site rate to work from home. Although I'd also take a discounted rate to go to interesting places (assuming travel paid, but even then, it might be a discount), or a surcharge to go somewhere uninteresting and on short notice. I'd absolutely do IT/satellite stuff in Antarctica if I had nothing else I had to be doing, just for the experience (although I think it also pays decently,…

In a heartbeat! I would do it for 20, but I find the idea of living in Antarctica pretty exciting.

I'd pay 20k to do it.

Re: “Well, He’s Not Going to Get Very Far”

#86

Post by snowwrestler » Fri, May 03, 2013, 2:18 PM UTC

31reasons wrote: post #63

rmrfrmrf wrote: post #4

How many companies that tout flexible work schedules actually allow them? In my mind, a flexible work schedule should mean somewhere in the realm of 35-40 hours a week, with those expected occasional 41-60 hr spikes before a deadline. When I talked to a recruiter recently, though, I asked them about their flexible work schedule. What they said was kind of horrifying: "Oh yeah, we're TOTALLY flexible! When there's a d…

I truly believe Programmers should never get a "job". If you are not skilled at all they are really overpaying you and if you have any skill at all, they are really underpaying you. I wish a day when all programmers just work as consultants and paid of every hour they work. Programmers should be treated more like artists or actors.

Consultants absolutely do not get paid for every hour they work.

Time spent finding new clients, for example, is totally unpaid. And most consultants need to spend a fair amount of time doing this.

Ongoing training and education time are also totally unpaid. Clients hire you to solve problems and go away--they won't invest in you like they would an employee.