Ask HN: I tired of web development. Should I move back to SDET?

#1

Post by Telichkin » Sat, Apr 20, 2019, 9:04 PM UTC

I started my career as a Performance QA Engineer in a game development company. In Performance QA Team we were developing all kind of useful internal tools: log collectors and analyzers, reporting system, test management system, but I left the company because I wanted to be a "real" developer who's shipping a "real" product for end users. So I moved to web-development.

I've read "Code Complete", "Clean Code", "Extreme Programming Explained" and thought that "real" developers solve interesting problems and write maintainable and high-quality code covered by unit tests. I was wrong.

"Real" development and "real" products are crap. When you develop an internal tool you do it because of necessity. In contrast, when you develop a new feature for a "real" product you do it because of a manager's whim. After two years in web development and after reading HN I conclude that "real" development almost always goes together with inadequate deadlines, shitty requirements, and high level of stress. I'm one step away from burning out.

I want to change something in my career. Should I move back to Automation QA/Programming of Internal Tools? Have you had the same problem in your career and what decisions have you made?

Re: Ask HN: I tired of web development. Should I move back to SDET?

#2

Post by airocker » Sat, Apr 20, 2019, 9:17 PM UTC

I think if you are in the critical path of any company or project, you have to learn how to manage expectations and manage stress. It is a skill in itself.

Re: Ask HN: I tired of web development. Should I move back to SDET?

#3

Post by ThrowawayR2 » Sat, Apr 20, 2019, 10:54 PM UTC

> I've read "Code Complete", "Clean Code", "Extreme Programming Explained" and thought that "real" developers solve interesting problems and write maintainable and high-quality code covered by unit tests.

Remember that the people who wrote those books cut their teeth in the pre-web days. It was a much different world back then; there was a huge incentive to get things right the first time because patches were difficult to get to users.

Jobs like the kind you describe exist but are uncommon; usually they can be found in businesses that build tech products and platforms (software or hardware) or in the FAANG companies. Given your background, I'd suggest looking for a job at one of the games middleware companies if you haven't soured on the idea of being a developer entirely.