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How individual contributors get stuck (2017)

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Re: How individual contributors get stuck (2017)

#2

Post by itsmemattchung »

> Noticing how people get stuck is a super power, and one that many great tech leads (and yes, managers) rely on to get big things done

Taking it one step further. Noticing how you — yourself — get stuck is a superpower. But it's hard...really hard.

When I get stuck on troubleshooting an issue, I can sometimes fall in this trap that my wife calls the "blackhole." I obsess over it. I cannot rid the problem from my mind. My 2.5 year old even sees it in my eyes ; she'll glance up at me, wondering where I am.

Before reaching this "blackhole" state, I can start to feel when I get tunnel vision.... at which point, I distance myself from the problem.

Hands off the keyboard.

Go for a walk.

And almost EVERY damn time, I'm able to solve the problem easily. Just needed a fresh pair of (my own) eyes, a moment to get "unstuck".

Re: How individual contributors get stuck (2017)

#3

Post by fatnoah »

itsmemattchung wrote: post #2

> Noticing how people get stuck is a super power, and one that many great tech leads (and yes, managers) rely on to get big things done Taking it one step further. Noticing how you — yourself — get stuck is a superpower. But it's hard...really hard. When I get stuck on troubleshooting an issue, I can sometimes fall in this trap that my wife calls the "blackhole." I obsess over it. I cannot rid the problem from my min…

>Before reaching this "blackhole" state, I can start to feel when I get tunnel vision.... at which point, I distance myself from the problem.

I learned to do this as well after many late nights of making no progress, only to basically solve the issue in the shower or on the way to work the next day.

Re: How individual contributors get stuck (2017)

#4

Post by paganel »

Maybe a little meta, but when did the programmers -> individual contributors transition happen?

Until a few years ago saying and writing "programmers" on forums like HN was still prevalent, and then, after a certain moment, I started seeing "ICs" more and more.

Re: How individual contributors get stuck (2017)

#5

Post by RC_ITR »

paganel wrote: post #4

Maybe a little meta, but when did the programmers -> individual contributors transition happen? Until a few years ago saying and writing "programmers" on forums like HN was still prevalent, and then, after a certain moment, I started seeing "ICs" more and more.

Well, it was easy to be part of a team (even if you weren't really) when you were physically collocated with said team.

But now, unless you really really are part of that team, you are an IC. Programming, by nature of what it is and who does it, always had a bunch of IC's, but now the phenomenon is more clear due to remote (which is something I recommend a lot of people on here thing about as they design their career).

Re: How individual contributors get stuck (2017)

#6

Post by Aqueous »

When I've gotten stuck it's usually because the previous engineer completely screwed up the data structure design and in doing so made it impossible to change. This boxes me in because I can't implement the feature in an architecturally sound way without a significant refactor.

This has happened to me many times.

Re: How individual contributors get stuck (2017)

#7

Post by itsmemattchung »

fatnoah wrote: post #3
itsmemattchung wrote: post #2

> Noticing how people get stuck is a super power, and one that many great tech leads (and yes, managers) rely on to get big things done Taking it one step further. Noticing how you — yourself — get stuck is a superpower. But it's hard...really hard. When I get stuck on troubleshooting an issue, I can sometimes fall in this trap that my wife calls the "blackhole." I obsess over it. I cannot rid the problem from my min…

>Before reaching this "blackhole" state, I can start to feel when I get tunnel vision.... at which point, I distance myself from the problem. I learned to do this as well after many late nights of making no progress, only to basically solve the issue in the shower or on the way to work the next day.

I definitely feel its one of the lessons I learn over and over again. The brain has a great way to convince us: "Just a little more longer... you'll figre it out.

Sometimes grit is just NOT the answer.

Re: How individual contributors get stuck (2017)

#8

Post by stonemetal12 »

paganel wrote: post #4

Maybe a little meta, but when did the programmers -> individual contributors transition happen? Until a few years ago saying and writing "programmers" on forums like HN was still prevalent, and then, after a certain moment, I started seeing "ICs" more and more.

It is wider than just HN. At work, IC tends to be the term used by management. Mostly I think it came with "agile" and the attempt to stop "not my job" responses to getting stuff done.
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