Item — HN Reader

This is a genuinely interesting piece that touches a number of loosely related points. They are (as I read them):

- Engineering jobs are not primarily being about problem-solving (like he had hoped)

- High-salaries and vanity perks (chair-massage, lunch) can make us feel work-related frustrations are invalid because we have so many perks (on paper). But vanity perks don't compensate for a fundamentally unfulfilling or disrespectful workplace.

- Programming for oneself and for a company can be fundamentally different experiences emotionally.

- A lot of engineering drive (to work overtime) and need to be "the best" stem from overcompensating and insecurity.

- Negating our own and each others feelings is common as exemplified through phrases like "suck it up"

- Competitiveness and attempts to establish superiority through irrelevant disagreements (mansplaining) illustrate an unbearable culture where you won't find friends.

- Provides an anecdote of an insensitive boss.

- Admits to a problem of anger-swings that is exacerbated by software.

- Admits to feeling so aimless that he has not worked for a week at a time but instead browsed social media.

Clearly the author is not without flaw himself, and doesn't try to pretend he is (anger swings). I really enjoy these candid reflections that bring up a number of great questions instead of artificially trying to answer just one.

2 comments

It was interesting to read Tim's thoughts.

The flip side of the coin, however, is if he's hated every employer, perhaps it's not them but him.

Software can be a good career, compared to many alternatives. Some autonomy, relaxed hours, relaxed dress codes, a lack of interaction with certain groups of people (I worked at mcdonalds; ask anyone who's worked at low end restaurants. Their business models are to serve the dregs of humanity who delight, in turn, in shitting upon the employees), and, of course, enough money to not worry about eating or housing (well, much about housing).

I was very frustrated my first 4 years in the industry; I had many of the symptoms he had (getting emotionally involved in my job, and, in my case, caring too much about the experience of the end product). Taking a step back, leaving the industry for a while, and realizing it was just a job helped. If my employer wants to treat customers poorly, well, sometimes that's their decision to make and I'm just going to shrug and let it go. I voice my opinion, but if my boss wants something different I let it be just his or her decision.

Hopefully Tim finds what he's looking for.

He's soft. You think a softie like that could handle the intense pressures of Bell Labs or really push the dynamic?

If you want to be a whiner and work to end a paycheck, fine. But if you want to help change the world, you really gotta dig in and work x10 as hard as everyone.

What most of tech don't realize is that the whole world is looking up to us, to deliver a solution, and while guys like that, are sitting, and whining about fairness, every day we're letting people out there down.

Id disagree the "engineering" isn't about solving problems obviously not everyone is working at JPL or NASA. But back when I worked for BT I was solving a problem when I recovered over £2 million by fixing a bug in or BACS transfer - never got a thank you mind ;-)