71–80 of 129 posts
Yeah advice from a different old programmer: do stuff that isn't aligned with your Normal Work, and restrict how much you're working on Normal Work to the point you're not constantly burned out and have no ability to do other stuff.
Extra to me is often about your development. Learn now to do it next time either better/faster/smoother etc etc. I'll agree with that idea.
The issue of extra is often then who pays for it. That can really make you enemies. People like free. Also, being over eager about improvements can put you on people's radar as a threat depending on how dysfunctional either they or the organization are.
As a contractor the extra means you can get the same output faster or with less effort because you improved your process. Or you can charge more.
Now differentiate this from "more". If you do more you over deliver. Instead of two deliverabkes, you do three. I'm ok with that if you get paid for it. It might even get you promoted if someone notices. Be careful that when it doesn't help it might actually hurt you later. Expectations from not-so-good bosses can be subject to inflation when they see you provide more than they pay for.
There are pros and cons to both. Its not an either/or situation either. You can use both to advantage.
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Everyone knows damn well enough that internal politics can either make this story shine like a diamond, be pushed into a black morass, or everything in between. Internal politics supersedes all best practices in any country, market, or decade
Actually I dislike it intensely. Politics always gives rise to the most mediocre ideas.
Oh, God. This sums up one of my coworkers. Smart, productive, generates lots of LOC that almost always do the right thing, but oh my God, the "Extra." Dig into any of his code and you'll always find something Extra, like the front end is built in SomeObscureLanguage.js, or the business logic is expressed in a custom DSL implemented by macros, or some piece of the app seems to be mysteriously absent, until you discove…
i agree that going off-roads from the main task is useful but i disagree with the way the author is suggesting to do it. > Assume there's a reasonable amount of work you need to do to fulfill the base expectations for your job (i.e. your Normal Work) and then there's a little time left over. (I know some may argue this "left-over time" thing, but just go with me) this assumption fails at a lot of companies, especiall…
Or they are keeping a buffer in their sprint planning for unknowns, emergencies, etc. Usually this time will get eaten up, but occasionally it won't.
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This, I think, is the pitfall of doing your own thing. When I was younger I did a lot of extra and I suppose it went fine. I did expand our features and I added more functionality and sometimes it ended up being useful. But the truth is that I'm not a strong enough engineer to see what extra I could do that would consistently add value. I think a lot of people who find success in doing extra are either lucky or at a…
I agree. I think doing Extra for personal development is rarely aligned with job performance, and you have to be very, very good and conscientious about creating that alignment. More often people get away with it by tanking the productivity of their coworkers and making the business increasingly reliant on their personal productivity. But to do this you need weak or absent technical management. I think doing Extra, M…
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I think the author needs to elaborate more on "extra". I've been on both sides and I know what Ben is referring to. This isn't about showing off so that your boss thinks you're not busy. I think OP is trying to encourage people to care about their job to the point where they want to do it better. I think what he means is: doing extra is insurance. It is knowing your job more than just punching a clock and getting the…
Sorry, I’ve been doing your ‘extra’ for years. While it earns you kudos and respect, it rarely gets you promoted, if ever. Playing politics on the other hand is lot more successful.