zlacker

>>moored+(OP)
And most people problems are communication problems. Engineers aren't engaged with the product vision or the customer base, and are allowed to silo themselves. Product doesn't see the point of engineers being engaged and feed the engineering team like an in-house outsourcing shop. Sales and CS fail to understand the cost of their promises to individual customers to the timelines of features they're hungry for from the product plan. Goals and metrics for success fail to align. And thus everyone rows in their own direction.

The solution usually isn't "better people." It's engaging people on the same goals and making sure each of them knows how their part fits with the others. It's also recognizing when hard stuff is worth doing. Yeah you've got a module with 15 years of tech debt that you didn't create, and no-one on the team is confident in touching anymore. Unlike acne, it won't get better if you don't pick at it. Build out what that tech debt is costing the company and the risk it creates. Balance that against other goals, and find a plan that pays it down at the right time and the right speed.

>>jeffhe+Gs
That’s wishful thinking but not in the way you think. A lot of engineers just want to finish their tickets and get out of there, that’s the reality. They don’t want to be in more meetings with the end user or product. You might have 10% of folks that actually love the job and want to build products at most places.

>>dyausp+6A2
> A lot of engineers just want to finish their tickets and get out of there, that’s the reality

All the juniors I've known in my career never started that way.

I wonder what happens along the way?

>>hexbin+lK2
I have observed two patterns. I can only speak for young men, as I never really worked as an engineer with any women (very tiny ratio over my career). They are hyperfocused at the start of their career, as there is a lot of positive learning and feedback. The promotions (and pay rises) appear quickly. After about 5 years, this slows dramatically as people enter mid-career. This slow down incentivizes many good engineers to enter "cruise mode".

Another big one: Family. (A) They get married and/or have children, so the focus of their life changes dramatically. (B) Or something outside of work becomes more important, like a sick parent or relative.

I don't write about either of these patterns to criticize people.

Did you never slow down? I certainly did.