99% of software I wrote in 10 years was never used

#1

Post by croola » Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 1:39 PM UTC

10 years ago I dropped my previous career to pursue a CS degree.

So I started new life, new country, new degree, new profession.

I graduated (again) and started to work.

In the last 10 years I developed tons of software and "solutions" in startups and corporate:

- mobile apps

- backend

- cloud infra

- ML solutions

- Data solutions

Across those 10 years and several companies, thousands of commits, sometimes sleepless nights only in two instances the software that I (and my various teammates) wrote was actually somewhat used:

- small parsing b2b service, only one b2b client used it regularly. I did not even initially developed it, but rather extended.

- a data pipeline for a sales dashboard, which some employees look at from time to time. I also just mostly migrated it, not initially developed it.

I went to the last company, which has insane client base and helps millions of people (really helps), with the hope I can be somewhat useful, but to no avail.

Life is perfect: I have a great salary, I live in a very good country, I have a house, social circle, loving family, job security, great work-life balance, remote work, interesting technical problems that keep my brain stimulated.

But why am I so unhappy?

Re: 99% of software I wrote in 10 years was never used

#2

Post by toomuchtodo » Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 1:40 PM UTC

Purpose and meaning is found outside of the job. The money is what enables that. Happiness is reality minus expectations.

> Life is perfect: I have a great salary, I live in a very good country, I have a house, social circle, loving family, job security, great work-life balance, remote work, interesting technical problems that keep my brain stimulated.

Reflect on your mindset if you are unhappy assuming all of the above. It sounds like life is perfect, although perhaps there is opportunity for unpaid/uncompensated work or other effort outside of your job to contribute towards your desire to find purpose and meaning.

Re: 99% of software I wrote in 10 years was never used

#3

Post by anovikov » Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 1:57 PM UTC

That's correct, this is how it should be. Enjoy it. Get a hobby.

If your software gets used, it means that you are hired by extremely smart and highly competitive people, because only those can get their software to be used while still making money enabling them to hire engineers. Which means, these people get the best deals for themselves all the time. Which means, you have pulled a short stick: they got a great deal with YOU, too. If your software gets used a lot, it means that you make a lot less than you could, if you only worked for different people.

Extra point: if your client is happy, it means you undercharge them heavily. A client should be always unhappy, but just a bit less so than it takes to fire you.

If both conditions are met - congrats, you have maxed yourself out and are making the top dollar you can.

Re: 99% of software I wrote in 10 years was never used

#4

Post by robtherobber » Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 2:00 PM UTC

toomuchtodo wrote: post #2

Purpose and meaning is found outside of the job. The money is what enables that. Happiness is reality minus expectations. > Life is perfect: I have a great salary, I live in a very good country, I have a house, social circle, loving family, job security, great work-life balance, remote work, interesting technical problems that keep my brain stimulated. Reflect on your mindset if you are unhappy assuming all of the ab…

> Purpose and meaning is found outside of the job.

I second this.

Work can / may play an important role in one's wellbeing, but for the most part work in the capitalist society is incredibly unfulfilling (not that other systems necessarily do it better) and meaningless. We're making money, some of us more than others, and all of us contributing an obscene amount for the ultrawealthy, directly or indirectly. But jobs should be about a lot more than that, and also not help destroy the planet and each other.

At the same time, we should be working a whole lot less - in the wealthy economies 2 days of work should be sufficient. Our time should be spent doing something else, or simply being. Homo Faciens (to do / make) is glorified in our society but we should cultivate the Homo Esse / Existens and the Homo Contemplativus a whole lot more.

https://philosophybreak.com/articles/aristotle-on-why-leisur...

https://iai.tv/articles/the-benefits-of-doing-nothing-auid-1...

Re: 99% of software I wrote in 10 years was never used

#5

Post by mac3n » Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 3:21 PM UTC

anovikov wrote: post #3

That's correct, this is how it should be. Enjoy it. Get a hobby. If your software gets used, it means that you are hired by extremely smart and highly competitive people, because only those can get their software to be used while still making money enabling them to hire engineers. Which means, these people get the best deals for themselves all the time. Which means, you have pulled a short stick: they got a great dea…

> If your software gets used, it means that you are hired by extremely smart and highly competitive people ...

have you ever worked for Oracle?

>A client should be always unhappy

If you're not regularly sued by clients, are you even trying?

Re: 99% of software I wrote in 10 years was never used

#6

Post by mac3n » Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 3:36 PM UTC

Don't think of writing software as creating a work of art, think of it as a performance, a thing of the moment.

What this means is that you can refine your craft, without concern for your audience.

Re: 99% of software I wrote in 10 years was never used

#7

Post by anovikov » Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 3:55 PM UTC

mac3n wrote: post #5

anovikov wrote: post #3

That's correct, this is how it should be. Enjoy it. Get a hobby. If your software gets used, it means that you are hired by extremely smart and highly competitive people, because only those can get their software to be used while still making money enabling them to hire engineers. Which means, these people get the best deals for themselves all the time. Which means, you have pulled a short stick: they got a great dea…

> If your software gets used, it means that you are hired by extremely smart and highly competitive people ... have you ever worked for Oracle? >A client should be always unhappy If you're not regularly sued by clients, are you even trying?

>have you ever worked for Oracle?

touche! No i haven't. And yes i can imagine, monopoly is a different beast.

>If you're not regularly sued by clients, are you even trying?

I actually heard it phrased in exactly same way! Optimal price/quality point for an outsourcing shop is where marginal litigation costs equals marginal profit made. Do better and you lose profit. Do worse and you pay more to lawyers.