I was struck by the similarity of working for a Startup and having the chance to gain mad skills, and the process of field promotions on the battlefield that I have read about in fiction: A whole other gear for advancement (aka dial set to 11).
Paul Buchheit on Joining Google, How to Become a Great Engineer, and Happiness
251–260 of 351 posts
Re: Paul Buchheit on Joining Google, How to Become a Great Engineer, and Happiness
#252Welp, now that my Imposter Syndrome has returned in full force, any concrete advice on leveling up in engineering skill (other than getting hired at Google circa 1999)? Edit: I now see that Paul coined the "Don't be Evil" slogan[0]. I'm curious what his thoughts on its removal and what that portends for Google today. u/paul? [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22540
Get hired at any place where good engineering is done, or at a startup where no engineering is really done and you get to make the calls about how engineering is done. Work for 10+ hours a day, and on your free time read about engineering from blogs or books, see conference videos, and go to conferences. After 4 or 5 years of doing this you'll maybe know enough about how "everthing works" and what books says how to d…
Impostor Syndrome is part and parcel of working with amazing people. Sometimes you'll feel like a goofball not because of anything you did, but because you're interacting with someone who is operating on a totally different level. But pushing through that emotion and learning from the experience is how you level up.
Re: Paul Buchheit on Joining Google, How to Become a Great Engineer, and Happiness
#253> You joined Google because you were deeply interested in Linux. Is there a technology you're equally excited about today?
This is a question which I would be curious for someone else to tell me the answer to! The closest thing I can think of is Bitcoin and crypto. I'm pretty sure they would have captured the attention of 21 year old me.
Can relate so much with this article. Maybe because we’re around the same age. Crypto reminds of me of Linux and the early days of the Internet. I see the potential and that’s why I’m working in it.
Re: Paul Buchheit on Joining Google, How to Become a Great Engineer, and Happiness
#254> I didn't have to work that hard, and one day I had this realization while sitting in my gray cubicle (I was in a sea of gray cubicles surrounded by gray walls, listening to white noise and all alone): I'm like, “Man I am so tired. I need to go home and take a nap.” I went home, but as soon as I got there I realized, “I'm not tired anymore.” Is there a name for this type of fatigue (or perception thereof)? I'm curio…
I've heard it called bore-out
Re: Paul Buchheit on Joining Google, How to Become a Great Engineer, and Happiness
#255t. I think you have to interview them a little bit. Ask hard questions and see if they give direct, insightful answers, or if they're evasive and dismissive.> Actually, letting charismatic founders deliver a triple-scoop of their enchanting story isn't the technique I'd recommend. Both the good ones and the bad ones got this far by being very persuasive. Do reference checks instead. Find people who worked with them f…
i agree with you, interviewing the founders is not a proper way to go about it. paul is full of it. there is no way past 50 or maybe 100 employees that you are going to have or be able to request an interview with the founders. and if you did pull it off, your time allotment to ask questions of them would be 10 minutes.
but, how would you do a reference check on larry, sergey, or holmes? none of whom held a job before they founded their respective companies. as will be the case with most startup founders. are you going to stalk their college friends?
Re: Paul Buchheit on Joining Google, How to Become a Great Engineer, and Happiness
#256Welp, now that my Imposter Syndrome has returned in full force, any concrete advice on leveling up in engineering skill (other than getting hired at Google circa 1999)? Edit: I now see that Paul coined the "Don't be Evil" slogan[0]. I'm curious what his thoughts on its removal and what that portends for Google today. u/paul? [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22540
Get hired at any place where good engineering is done, or at a startup where no engineering is really done and you get to make the calls about how engineering is done. Work for 10+ hours a day, and on your free time read about engineering from blogs or books, see conference videos, and go to conferences. After 4 or 5 years of doing this you'll maybe know enough about how "everthing works" and what books says how to d…
Yup. You have 2 choices: Imposter Syndrome or Dunning-Kruger. I'll take imposter syndrome please.
Re: Paul Buchheit on Joining Google, How to Become a Great Engineer, and Happiness
#257Anyone know of similar articles or videos like this with career advice from great engineers?
Just like self-help books and CEO advice, taking career advice from engineers, even great ones, is a waste of time. It is useful to read for entertainment value, and to be well-read in general (like understanding history very well in order to understand modern politics), but taking direct advice would be foolish.
Perhaps that isn't the intent of your question but just wanted to state that, at least as a warning to others, as it is the implication.
Re: Paul Buchheit on Joining Google, How to Become a Great Engineer, and Happiness
#258Anyone have videos of someone programming fast or a video of a 10x engineer working or a comparison output of a 10x vs above average?
Maybe Mary Rose Cook live coding a game as a conference presentation:
Re: Paul Buchheit on Joining Google, How to Become a Great Engineer, and Happiness
#259> I didn't have to work that hard, and one day I had this realization while sitting in my gray cubicle (I was in a sea of gray cubicles surrounded by gray walls, listening to white noise and all alone): I'm like, “Man I am so tired. I need to go home and take a nap.” I went home, but as soon as I got there I realized, “I'm not tired anymore.” Is there a name for this type of fatigue (or perception thereof)? I'm curio…
I think it's related to the notion that depression (and burnout and other chronic states of negative emotion and low energy) is caused by a lack of optimism - or a lack of things to feel optimistic about. From an evolutionary point of view, if we're not inspired and excited about what we're doing now or what we expect to be doing in the near future, it makes sense to go into energy conservation/restoration mode and g…
This comment rings so much truth for me, in my past 2 years on wall street tech world.
Comforting to see it written by another person.
Re: Paul Buchheit on Joining Google, How to Become a Great Engineer, and Happiness
#260Anyone have videos of someone programming fast or a video of a 10x engineer working or a comparison output of a 10x vs above average?
This question misses the point I think. The differences aren’t going to be that they type 1200 wpm or something that would be interesting or obvious on video. It would more likely look like someone spending time thinking carefully, not (necessarily) at a keyboard, thinking about really needs doing, how to best do it, what the user needs and will value, and they might write 1/3 of the code of a median engineer. The ac…
> The differences aren’t going to be that they type 1200 wpm
yeah. Jeff and Sanjay (of Google) are famous for pair programming. I've never seen them (or anyone) do it but can you imagine how slow it is?
OTOH, I have witnessed Craig Silverstein (1st google employee, not as well recognized as Jeff and Sanjay I think) typing and OMG the thoughts just flow from his brain to the screen. That must be a boost. I personally find that the expression of the thought into code is soooo slow and limiting. I feel like I could be a 10x engineer if I had 2 transcribers that were very good technical typists, like a steno recorder.