6 ms·

This is precisely the thing I was thinking because I'd be that guy. I've been writing software since I was 13 years old and have been lucky to be writing softw

by mdip 10y ago

This is precisely the thing I was thinking because I'd be that guy. I've been writing software since I was 13 years old and have been lucky to be writing software in the language I want to write in, and with code that is challenging enough to keep it interesting. Here's the thing: Since I got my first "real gig" (the one that can be called "a career"), I have averaged well over 40 hours/week. During that time, except for one brief period[0], I had never been pressured to work an hour over 40 hours. In fact, the only time at my last job that I was actually had some moments where I was unhappy was during a year that I worked for a manager who gave me a hard time because this manager believed I was "working too much"[1]. If a job involved a "powerful credo from above to preserve such a position amid politics", it'd be a job I wouldn't make it at. Or I'd just work the extra time and shut up about it, giving the appearance that I'm some sort of super-hero with code. I love what I do and work extra hours because I enjoy the challenge and the specific work I'm paid to do. And there are a lot of us like this out there. I have some side projects that keep me from spending all of my free time working on "work stuff" but my job is my hobby as much as it's my career. [0] There was a period of time that I reported to a manager on a team that was entirely made up of operational support. The expectation was that the salary paid to the support guys included a stipulation to work at least 45 hours/week. He made it a point to mention this during every staff meeting. It pissed me right off, partly because I can't stand managers who hyper-focus on "hours worked" and ignore "work completed" but mostly because my salary was low for what I was doing and couldn't, objectively, be considered to be taking into account a 45 hour week. I mentioned it to this manager and was told to ignore the statement because it was meant for a couple of guys on the team who barely handled 40 hours and being the only developer on the team, he knew my job was very different. [1] I'm not knocking this manager. This individual ran a very effective team, and part of that was their deep investment in staff. It was done out of the same caring nature that caused this person's team to be so effectively. I told my manager that I felt pressured to falsify my time sheets, which was something I would never do, because of the grief I was getting and that put an end to the grief since they were now aware that I knew there was no pressure to work the extra time and that being in control of the time I put in is important to me.

divbit 10y ago
>And there are a lot of us like this out there. Red 5 standing by - I can easily work 80/week on an interesting project
- taneq 10y ago
  Enjoy this while it lasts! Once (if) you add a partner and a couple of kids (especially ones who don't sleep through the night!) and your life will be very different.
  - mdip 10y ago
    That's assuming quite a bit about the OP and myself, so I'll speak for myself: I'm married with four children. I love what I do and directly sought a partner that would fit with my life and a job that is flexible. I work from my home for a team that is located entirely in the United Kingdom (I'm in the US). I don't regularly do "80 hour weeks" -- it happens and it's almost always by choice -- but there are ways to work more than 40 hours and not have it affect your family. First, I eliminated the commute by working from home. This allows me to start work the instant I wake up, which I do every morning. A while back, I followed something I'd read on HN about 'how to wake up at 5:00 AM'[0] and have been doing it for so long now that I get up around that time every morning without effort and find it hard to sleep in at all. But I enforce an average 7 hours of sleep/day over a 5-day period[1]. When I work and where I work is flexible, but I'm always working until my team goes home. I also work entirely from my laptop, in the living room, all day. That means I'm basically with my family nearly all of the time in the summer (my wife usually sits next to me the entire day). I can close the lid when circumstances warrant. After that, it's a mix of day and night working (usually both). During downtime (which would otherwise be wasted by being dedicated to watching TV), my laptop is on my lap. My wife has her phone in her hands. She's always been like this and I've always been like this. I got lucky in that my wife and I share a brain on these sorts of things. When there aren't plans on the weekend, I'll work during the downtime. My wife is a full time mother, as well, so she handles the cooking (which I hate doing, anyway), grocery shopping and household related things. We both participate in homework, teaching, and enjoying our children. There are times when work is long and difficult and she's understanding that she needs to hold things together when those rare moments occur--I'm the only source of income for our family of four. [0] The short version of the technique is "force yourself to go to bed when you're tired (even if it's at 6:00 PM) and force yourself to wake up by 5:00 AM". The former is easy, the latter isn't but I added another technique: I did several dry runs the night before where I set my alarm 5 minutes in the future, laid myself down and jumped out of bed when it went off. For the first several days, I physically got up out of bed and ran to wake myself. Now I can grab my laptop off of my side-table and sit in bed feeling perfectly awake. I drink a reasonable amount of coffee, as well but no alcohol (I gave it up a while ago because my sleep was affected negatively when I drank and I didn't enjoy it much, anyway). [1] I've never been one of those people who can handle little/no sleep. I need 7 hours a night or I start to feel miserable and get crabby with my family, so I aim for 7.5 hours/night and enforce an average 7 over 5 days. I have bursts of creativity most often at night and if I'm having a particularly good time with code, I allow myself to stay up until productivity is affected by exhaustion. To make up for it, I will go to bed early the next day or grab a nap in the afternoon. As far as the whole "there's no way to make up sleep", that's not been my personal experience. I am right back to normal after a 4-hour evening if I put in a 10-hour night and I'm able to do it if I force myself to bed a few hours early. Because of "0", I haven't been able to reliably sleep in, so that's my only option left.

by mdip 10y ago

divbit 10y ago

>And there are a lot of us like this out there. Red 5 standing by - I can easily work 80/week on an interesting project

taneq 10y ago
Enjoy this while it lasts! Once (if) you add a partner and a couple of kids (especially ones who don't sleep through the night!) and your life will be very different.
- mdip 10y ago
  That's assuming quite a bit about the OP and myself, so I'll speak for myself: I'm married with four children. I love what I do and directly sought a partner that would fit with my life and a job that is flexible. I work from my home for a team that is located entirely in the United Kingdom (I'm in the US). I don't regularly do "80 hour weeks" -- it happens and it's almost always by choice -- but there are ways to work more than 40 hours and not have it affect your family. First, I eliminated the commute by working from home. This allows me to start work the instant I wake up, which I do every morning. A while back, I followed something I'd read on HN about 'how to wake up at 5:00 AM'[0] and have been doing it for so long now that I get up around that time every morning without effort and find it hard to sleep in at all. But I enforce an average 7 hours of sleep/day over a 5-day period[1]. When I work and where I work is flexible, but I'm always working until my team goes home. I also work entirely from my laptop, in the living room, all day. That means I'm basically with my family nearly all of the time in the summer (my wife usually sits next to me the entire day). I can close the lid when circumstances warrant. After that, it's a mix of day and night working (usually both). During downtime (which would otherwise be wasted by being dedicated to watching TV), my laptop is on my lap. My wife has her phone in her hands. She's always been like this and I've always been like this. I got lucky in that my wife and I share a brain on these sorts of things. When there aren't plans on the weekend, I'll work during the downtime. My wife is a full time mother, as well, so she handles the cooking (which I hate doing, anyway), grocery shopping and household related things. We both participate in homework, teaching, and enjoying our children. There are times when work is long and difficult and she's understanding that she needs to hold things together when those rare moments occur--I'm the only source of income for our family of four. [0] The short version of the technique is "force yourself to go to bed when you're tired (even if it's at 6:00 PM) and force yourself to wake up by 5:00 AM". The former is easy, the latter isn't but I added another technique: I did several dry runs the night before where I set my alarm 5 minutes in the future, laid myself down and jumped out of bed when it went off. For the first several days, I physically got up out of bed and ran to wake myself. Now I can grab my laptop off of my side-table and sit in bed feeling perfectly awake. I drink a reasonable amount of coffee, as well but no alcohol (I gave it up a while ago because my sleep was affected negatively when I drank and I didn't enjoy it much, anyway). [1] I've never been one of those people who can handle little/no sleep. I need 7 hours a night or I start to feel miserable and get crabby with my family, so I aim for 7.5 hours/night and enforce an average 7 over 5 days. I have bursts of creativity most often at night and if I'm having a particularly good time with code, I allow myself to stay up until productivity is affected by exhaustion. To make up for it, I will go to bed early the next day or grab a nap in the afternoon. As far as the whole "there's no way to make up sleep", that's not been my personal experience. I am right back to normal after a 4-hour evening if I put in a 10-hour night and I'm able to do it if I force myself to bed a few hours early. Because of "0", I haven't been able to reliably sleep in, so that's my only option left.