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This is a very good overview. One thing I would add for the junior and mid level developer is “attitude towards work in general”. One thing I see commonly in ma

This is a very good overview. One thing I would add for the junior and mid level developer is “attitude towards work in general”. One thing I see commonly in many junior and some mid level engineers is an inappropriate attitude towards work vs their career aspirations. For example, they will treat their job like an hourly employee with no skin in the game, and then complain about raises, promotions and bonuses. You don’t need the best development skills to show up on time, be diligent, work hard, and be a good teammate.

eropple 7y ago
As somebody pretty firmly in the staff/principal firmament (when not in a management role), I absolutely, positively do not care in the slightest and at least low-key discourage people I mentor from having "skin in the game." Unless you have entire points in the company, "skin in the game" is a handle by which people can manipulate you to do things that are bad for you, your health, and your career. It's not that it should be an adversarial relationship, and one of the really nice things at my current job is that it it's the first I've ever been at that isn't (it's a genuinely good place to work, with empathic and decent upper management, and they get a lot more out of us for it)--but most are and it's not a line employee's fault and it's foolish to not recognize the game being played. Professionalism doesn't require emotional attachment and it shouldn't be expected or too generously given. Show up, do your job, do it well. But make sure you are building towards the next one and don't let the current one minimize your ability to get the next one. As your manager I might and generally do care about your personal growth, but it's not because it relates to your KPIs, it's because you're a person and I'm in a place to help you improve and I should do that because doing that is good. And, selfishly, I want to find and build great people to work with in the future. But at most places, me doing this is in tension with what my bosses would like me to do. Which is mold you into a better employee over the expected time horizon of your employee, irrespective of if that makes you a better developer or technologist. (I've learned that pushing people to be better technologists makes better employees too, but my experience is that most management doesn't get this and so we are mostly to be not trusted on that score.)
scarface74 7y ago
I’ve been in this field a fair amount of time and my “skin in the game” is not to leave my coworkers hanging. But too often you hear employers talk about “we are family” and “the mission” to convince people to work 60+ hour weeks. I do the best work I can within a normal 40-45 hour week.

eropple 7y ago

As somebody pretty firmly in the staff/principal firmament (when not in a management role), I absolutely, positively do not care in the slightest and at least low-key discourage people I mentor from having "skin in the game." Unless you have entire points in the company, "skin in the game" is a handle by which people can manipulate you to do things that are bad for you, your health, and your career. It's not that it should be an adversarial relationship, and one of the really nice things at my current job is that it it's the first I've ever been at that isn't (it's a genuinely good place to work, with empathic and decent upper management, and they get a lot more out of us for it)--but most are and it's not a line employee's fault and it's foolish to not recognize the game being played. Professionalism doesn't require emotional attachment and it shouldn't be expected or too generously given. Show up, do your job, do it well. But make sure you are building towards the next one and don't let the current one minimize your ability to get the next one. As your manager I might and generally do care about your personal growth, but it's not because it relates to your KPIs, it's because you're a person and I'm in a place to help you improve and I should do that because doing that is good. And, selfishly, I want to find and build great people to work with in the future. But at most places, me doing this is in tension with what my bosses would like me to do. Which is mold you into a better employee over the expected time horizon of your employee, irrespective of if that makes you a better developer or technologist. (I've learned that pushing people to be better technologists makes better employees too, but my experience is that most management doesn't get this and so we are mostly to be not trusted on that score.)

scarface74 7y ago

I’ve been in this field a fair amount of time and my “skin in the game” is not to leave my coworkers hanging. But too often you hear employers talk about “we are family” and “the mission” to convince people to work 60+ hour weeks. I do the best work I can within a normal 40-45 hour week.