3 ms·

As long as software is a cost center to your company, it will be treated this way. Trying getting a job at a company where software is a core concern. Ideally w

As long as software is a cost center to your company, it will be treated this way. Trying getting a job at a company where software is a core concern. Ideally with a CEO that is not from a marketing/business background.

afarrell 7y ago
For more on this sort if thing, Patrick McKenzie’s writing is good: - https://www.kalzumeus.com/2011/10/28/dont-call-yourself-a-programmer/ https://www.kalzumeus.com/2011/10/28/dont-call-yourself-a-pr... - https://www.kalzumeus.com/2014/04/09/what-heartbleed-can-teach-the-oss-community-about-marketing/ https://www.kalzumeus.com/2014/04/09/what-heartbleed-can-tea...
- kirRoyale 7y ago
  You are right, great posts. Thanks for sharing.
- SamuelAdams 7y ago
  Thanks for the links! I really wish I read these when I was in my undergrad, they are really good!
- eikenberry 7y ago
  > In the real world, picking up a new language takes a few weeks of effort and after 6 to 12 months nobody will ever notice you haven’t been doing that one for your entire career. Spoken as someone who has never taken the time to fully master a programming language and, from the sound of it, has never worked with someone who has either. The difference between someone who has spent 6-12 months with a language compared someone who has spent 6-12 years is night and day. From the general tone of the article, he obviously focuses more on the business value than on the technical side and that is a pretty good approach for making money. But I'll take Peter Norvig's advice (http://norvig.com/21-days.html http://norvig.com/21-days.html) over this guys when it comes to mastering a language. To be fair most of the content of those articles is pretty decent though and it is just a pet peeve of mine when people claim that mastery of your medium doesn't matter.
  - 52-6F-62 7y ago
    Thanks for posting that Norvig post. It's fantastic.
  - Aeolun 7y ago
    In my experience, having mastery over one language translates more or less directly into being at least journeyman in all others. If you are working with an apprentice, whatever you do, it will seem like you are really experienced.
- 52-6F-62 7y ago
  In my experience, that's not necessarily actionable advice. (the first link)
sidlls 7y ago
One thing I've learned working in both kinds of companies is that having software as the core concern of the business isn't automatically a shield from bad project management or bad engineering management.
- c0vfefe 7y ago
  'Not considering software a cost center' is a necessary but insufficient condition for healthy estimation. A software company often appreciates you more, but is still susceptible to the other myriads of management pitfalls.
depressed 7y ago
I have watched a manager with a master's degree in computer science pull this BS. At an enterprise technology company. He would go as far as repeating a question over and over until he got an answer he liked. The senior members of his team had a culture of eighty hour work weeks. Draw what conclusions you may.

afarrell 7y ago

For more on this sort if thing, Patrick McKenzie’s writing is good: - https://www.kalzumeus.com/2011/10/28/dont-call-yourself-a-programmer/ https://www.kalzumeus.com/2011/10/28/dont-call-yourself-a-pr... - https://www.kalzumeus.com/2014/04/09/what-heartbleed-can-teach-the-oss-community-about-marketing/ https://www.kalzumeus.com/2014/04/09/what-heartbleed-can-tea...

kirRoyale 7y ago
You are right, great posts. Thanks for sharing.
SamuelAdams 7y ago
Thanks for the links! I really wish I read these when I was in my undergrad, they are really good!
eikenberry 7y ago
> In the real world, picking up a new language takes a few weeks of effort and after 6 to 12 months nobody will ever notice you haven’t been doing that one for your entire career. Spoken as someone who has never taken the time to fully master a programming language and, from the sound of it, has never worked with someone who has either. The difference between someone who has spent 6-12 months with a language compared someone who has spent 6-12 years is night and day. From the general tone of the article, he obviously focuses more on the business value than on the technical side and that is a pretty good approach for making money. But I'll take Peter Norvig's advice (http://norvig.com/21-days.html http://norvig.com/21-days.html) over this guys when it comes to mastering a language. To be fair most of the content of those articles is pretty decent though and it is just a pet peeve of mine when people claim that mastery of your medium doesn't matter.
- 52-6F-62 7y ago
  Thanks for posting that Norvig post. It's fantastic.
- Aeolun 7y ago
  In my experience, having mastery over one language translates more or less directly into being at least journeyman in all others. If you are working with an apprentice, whatever you do, it will seem like you are really experienced.
52-6F-62 7y ago
In my experience, that's not necessarily actionable advice. (the first link)

sidlls 7y ago

One thing I've learned working in both kinds of companies is that having software as the core concern of the business isn't automatically a shield from bad project management or bad engineering management.

c0vfefe 7y ago
'Not considering software a cost center' is a necessary but insufficient condition for healthy estimation. A software company often appreciates you more, but is still susceptible to the other myriads of management pitfalls.

depressed 7y ago

I have watched a manager with a master's degree in computer science pull this BS. At an enterprise technology company. He would go as far as repeating a question over and over until he got an answer he liked. The senior members of his team had a culture of eighty hour work weeks. Draw what conclusions you may.