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I think the article is reading far too much into this whole "positions we don't hire into" thing. Usually, those are just roles invented to keep key people aboa

by usrusr 8y ago

I think the article is reading far too much into this whole "positions we don't hire into" thing. Usually, those are just roles invented to keep key people aboard who are refused the conventional hierarchical rise (and raise) due to Peter Principle awareness and/or not fitting in with the execs. Walking repositories of the history of in-house technology, software archeologists who know where to dig because they've been there when it happened. It's impossible to hire that kind of knowledge. Usually, when a position invented to keep that kind of knowledge aboard gets vacated, the hat won't even be handed on in-house to the next best candidate, it will just get abandoned. Unfortunately, the premise of the article comes off a bit like someone sitting on the fat spoils of strategic job hopping being unreasonably envious of the modest rewards of staying put, wishing to get them on top. I do like the humble use of "programmer cred" as a non-substitute of actual performance/ability.

wyclif 8y ago
Some of these roles are also where some very talented engineers end up who have decided they do not want to graduate to management positions. So it's quite possible they weren't refused advancement, they were offered it but turned it down because they wanted to keep working on [X] project instead of other products they weren't interested in, or managing people where that is a skill they know they don't have.
- gvb 8y ago
  So it's quite possible they weren't refused advancement, they were offered it but turned it down Absolutely! Anecdata: I have 30++ years of experience. I enjoy programming. I do not enjoy managing people. I do OK managing projects, but don't enjoy it. Especially in the first 10++ years, when I had my yearly performance review I would tell my boss "whatever you do, don't make me a manager." They tried talking me into management roles quite a few times (and succeeded occasionally getting me to fill a technical management role in projects) but have mostly honored my request. If I had gone into a (technical) management role I would likely have made a little more money but my stress level would be a lot higher and my enjoyment would have been way way lower. I've watched other engineers that went the technical management route and have been very happy with my choice. Staying heavily technical isn't the right choice for everybody, but it was absolutely the right choice for me.
- TheGrassyKnoll 8y ago
  I ceded my management opportunity to a lady 10 years my junior, and she became a spectacular manager, far more effective than I would have ever been.
- usrusr 8y ago
  That's actually part of what I meant with "Peter Principle awareness", although it is definitely not what I wrote. I actually believe that not wanting a management role (what you wrote) is far more common than getting denied despite trying (what I wrote) for the kind of people we are talking about here, those who may actually end up getting a high status non-management role invented for them.
deleted 8y ago
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by usrusr 8y ago

wyclif 8y ago

Some of these roles are also where some very talented engineers end up who have decided they do not want to graduate to management positions. So it's quite possible they weren't refused advancement, they were offered it but turned it down because they wanted to keep working on [X] project instead of other products they weren't interested in, or managing people where that is a skill they know they don't have.

gvb 8y ago
So it's quite possible they weren't refused advancement, they were offered it but turned it down Absolutely! Anecdata: I have 30++ years of experience. I enjoy programming. I do not enjoy managing people. I do OK managing projects, but don't enjoy it. Especially in the first 10++ years, when I had my yearly performance review I would tell my boss "whatever you do, don't make me a manager." They tried talking me into management roles quite a few times (and succeeded occasionally getting me to fill a technical management role in projects) but have mostly honored my request. If I had gone into a (technical) management role I would likely have made a little more money but my stress level would be a lot higher and my enjoyment would have been way way lower. I've watched other engineers that went the technical management route and have been very happy with my choice. Staying heavily technical isn't the right choice for everybody, but it was absolutely the right choice for me.
TheGrassyKnoll 8y ago
I ceded my management opportunity to a lady 10 years my junior, and she became a spectacular manager, far more effective than I would have ever been.
usrusr 8y ago
That's actually part of what I meant with "Peter Principle awareness", although it is definitely not what I wrote. I actually believe that not wanting a management role (what you wrote) is far more common than getting denied despite trying (what I wrote) for the kind of people we are talking about here, those who may actually end up getting a high status non-management role invented for them.

deleted 8y ago

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