7 ms·

I might be in a unique situation to handle this (smallish company, fairly independent), but I just tend to bullshit my way through a work week when this happens

I might be in a unique situation to handle this (smallish company, fairly independent), but I just tend to bullshit my way through a work week when this happens. I will talk big and vague in meetings about what I've accomplished. I'll talk about why what I'm building turned out to be more complicated than thought originally, and will take more time than allotted. If necessary will build interfaces that look like I'm doing the work when in fact I'm not. Keep in mind, I don't do this maliciously to "steal" from the company. I do this because I have a certain amount of creative energy, and sometimes the well just runs dry. I can't think about complicated things (much of my job is architecting systems) and I have trouble focusing. Instead of pushing myself to burn out further, I understand it as part of a boom/bust cycle and take a break at work. Sometimes this lasts up to a week (even more in a few cases). Then one day during the bust, I'll get the wind back in my sails and start up again. This happens once every few months, although sometimes it can be triggered by a larger project. Sometimes I'll allot a week for something, not do anything on it, and then complete it all a day before it's due. When I say "not do anything" I mean I'm not actually coding, however I think my subconscious is mulling the problem over and I'll have an "AHA!" moment when needed. Really, it helps to get good at bullshitting and buying yourself time. Practice, practice, practice. Once again, not maliciously, but for your own well-being. Pad your days out when giving estimates to people. Hope that helps/is applicable to your situation.

macNchz 10y ago
There's a pretty good exploration of these periods of boom and bust in software development productivity from Joel Spolsky: https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2002/01/06/fire-and-motion/ https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2002/01/06/fire-and-motion/ I read it years ago and it really helped me disconnect the feeling of personal failing from those days/weeks of being a professional software developer where things just don't click.
- julianusti 10y ago
  on it. thx.
- orthecreedence 10y ago
  Thanks, I'll check this out. I always just sort of noticed it and recognized it as something that happens. Never really dove in to why.
superplussed 10y ago
I wouldn't post anything on HN that I wouldn't want my boss to see, and frankly if I was your boss I wouldn't be that happy that: "I just tend to bullshit my way through a work week.." "..build interfaces that look like I'm doing the work when in fact I'm not." "Sometimes I'll allot a week for something, not do anything on it, and then complete it all a day before it's due" "it helps to get good at bullshitting" Honestly, you don't sound professional. To me it's one thing to say, hey I'm burned out and I need to take a half day today. Or hey, I'm burned out, what if I worked on developer tooling for a few days to recharge my batteries. But lying during meetings and distorting what you are working on are fireable offences, and even if you feel comfortable being that shameless and unethical on your own accord, why the heck would you give advice to someone else to do the same? Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I'm bewildered by this post.
- poikniok 10y ago
  Right, as a boss I would love for my employees to work themselves to death to please me. God forbid they take a break once every couple of months. Because please be real, your suggestion is absurd. Somebody is burned out so they should work on developer tooling for a few days? When somebody is burned out doing more work is not going to help.
  - superplussed 10y ago
    Again, I said there is nothing wrong with taking a break. To me working on developer tooling is taking a break. Maybe to you it isn't, so going to someone's desk for a chat would work for you, or going to play ping-pong in the lounge. My one and only point is that lying to your employer, to set yourself up so that you can somehow get through your low-points, means you are either in the wrong job or in the wrong profession. Be a professional and do your honest best, that's all.
    - poikniok 10y ago
      That would be great if employers actually let you take a break. Instead what will happen is exactly what you would probably try, which is to get the person to do some other kind of work. I am happy for you that working on developer tooling is a break for you, but for some people this is never going to be the case. Some people might only be able to work 150/250 possible work days in a year sustainably. I think this advice is aimed at those individuals. At the end of the day you have to watch out for yourself. If you work yourself to suicide the company is never going feel sympathy for you. This is a business transaction, and part of business is crafting a message that resonates with counter-parties. Companies themselves do this all the time, and it is perfectly standard.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
mxvzr 10y ago
IMO this attitude (ie. deception) is not okay. Whatever the frequency of it, it sounds dishonest. Besides I think you're overlooking the impact it has on your peers: it is very likely someone with similar skillset will see right through the padded estimates and/or can tell the difference between bogus and actual work. Some may have trouble keeping their heads down once they've figured this out. When uninspired I think it's best to openly admit it and fallback to more menial tasks while you wait for the energy to comes back than to engage in this kind of behavior. Personally I wouldn't put up with it for very long, for fear of seeing it spread to other team members.
- adkv 10y ago
  Is it going to be encouraging to other team members to be honest in the weekly meeting and tell everyone 'oh I didn't feel in the zone this week so I haven't done any of my tasks'? Aren't they going to think, well I never take a week to have a rest, maybe I should start doing that? I can't see the boss being fine with this more honest way of handling it either.

macNchz 10y ago

There's a pretty good exploration of these periods of boom and bust in software development productivity from Joel Spolsky: https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2002/01/06/fire-and-motion/ https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2002/01/06/fire-and-motion/ I read it years ago and it really helped me disconnect the feeling of personal failing from those days/weeks of being a professional software developer where things just don't click.

julianusti 10y ago
on it. thx.
orthecreedence 10y ago
Thanks, I'll check this out. I always just sort of noticed it and recognized it as something that happens. Never really dove in to why.

superplussed 10y ago

I wouldn't post anything on HN that I wouldn't want my boss to see, and frankly if I was your boss I wouldn't be that happy that: "I just tend to bullshit my way through a work week.." "..build interfaces that look like I'm doing the work when in fact I'm not." "Sometimes I'll allot a week for something, not do anything on it, and then complete it all a day before it's due" "it helps to get good at bullshitting" Honestly, you don't sound professional. To me it's one thing to say, hey I'm burned out and I need to take a half day today. Or hey, I'm burned out, what if I worked on developer tooling for a few days to recharge my batteries. But lying during meetings and distorting what you are working on are fireable offences, and even if you feel comfortable being that shameless and unethical on your own accord, why the heck would you give advice to someone else to do the same? Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I'm bewildered by this post.

poikniok 10y ago
Right, as a boss I would love for my employees to work themselves to death to please me. God forbid they take a break once every couple of months. Because please be real, your suggestion is absurd. Somebody is burned out so they should work on developer tooling for a few days? When somebody is burned out doing more work is not going to help.
- superplussed 10y ago
  Again, I said there is nothing wrong with taking a break. To me working on developer tooling is taking a break. Maybe to you it isn't, so going to someone's desk for a chat would work for you, or going to play ping-pong in the lounge. My one and only point is that lying to your employer, to set yourself up so that you can somehow get through your low-points, means you are either in the wrong job or in the wrong profession. Be a professional and do your honest best, that's all.
  - poikniok 10y ago
    That would be great if employers actually let you take a break. Instead what will happen is exactly what you would probably try, which is to get the person to do some other kind of work. I am happy for you that working on developer tooling is a break for you, but for some people this is never going to be the case. Some people might only be able to work 150/250 possible work days in a year sustainably. I think this advice is aimed at those individuals. At the end of the day you have to watch out for yourself. If you work yourself to suicide the company is never going feel sympathy for you. This is a business transaction, and part of business is crafting a message that resonates with counter-parties. Companies themselves do this all the time, and it is perfectly standard.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

mxvzr 10y ago

IMO this attitude (ie. deception) is not okay. Whatever the frequency of it, it sounds dishonest. Besides I think you're overlooking the impact it has on your peers: it is very likely someone with similar skillset will see right through the padded estimates and/or can tell the difference between bogus and actual work. Some may have trouble keeping their heads down once they've figured this out. When uninspired I think it's best to openly admit it and fallback to more menial tasks while you wait for the energy to comes back than to engage in this kind of behavior. Personally I wouldn't put up with it for very long, for fear of seeing it spread to other team members.

adkv 10y ago
Is it going to be encouraging to other team members to be honest in the weekly meeting and tell everyone 'oh I didn't feel in the zone this week so I haven't done any of my tasks'? Aren't they going to think, well I never take a week to have a rest, maybe I should start doing that? I can't see the boss being fine with this more honest way of handling it either.