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Making a post on HN asking how people know when it's time for a new job. More seriously -- when you become the smartest person in the room, assuming your job i

Making a post on HN asking how people know when it's time for a new job. More seriously -- when you become the smartest person in the room, assuming your job isn't being a researcher (or a similar level of autonomy).

karmakaze 5y ago
> when you become the smartest person in the room This is interesting, could you elaborate on it? Certainly within any group someone would be the 'smartest' providing the most leadership or context. Following this would have that person leaving, then the next and so on. Or is this another way of saying when you're not learning from your co-workers anymore (as mentioned in another comment)? I find myself trending to learning more about people and teaching even though staying on the individual contributor track. It's not that there isn't more to learn but the development methods become well known.
- hardwaresofton 5y ago
  Well it comes from a common idiom, though I'm not sure it's from confucius[0]. Basically, if you're working at a firm which doesn't specialize in networking, but you really care about networking, you'll probably be the smartest person in the room with regards to that. In general it's when you're not learning from your coworkers, but also when you're not doing things that push forward your knowledge as well (hence the research caveat) or with lots of autonomy. That said, it depends on what your career goals are -- if you're dedicated to craftsmanship, then managing people isn't necessarily your interest. If you're interested in being a leader, then that is somewhat at odds with focusing only on craftsmanship, etc. > I find myself trending to learning more about people and teaching even though staying on the individual contributor track. It's not that there isn't more to learn but the development methods become well known. Another platitude/saying is that teaching is the best way to learn -- reaching mastery that enables you to teach is great, and if you like to teach then it's fantastic, but what lies beyond mastery is research, so it's more of a question of if you want to do that or not, or if you're at a local minima (or really a local knowledge boundary) in relation to your knowledge. If you think it's a local minima then maybe it's time to move to a company which does more of what you're interested in, if not, then you spend your time researching (and/or teaching others). [0]: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7854941-if-you-are-the-smartest-person-in-the-room-then https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7854941-if-you-are-the-smar...
  - karmakaze 5y ago
    Thanks, this gives a balanced perspective of my landscape and how or why I might want to move in it.
codingdave 5y ago
> when you become the smartest person in the room, assuming... Also assuming that there are other rooms - once you really work your way into a niche, and are the most senior guy in the room... you may also be the most senior guy in the world for your niche. At that point, you need to think about whether it is time to go to a new niche, or if you are OK just sitting on top for a while.
- hardwaresofton 5y ago
  It's a point I didn't flesh out too much in the original comment but if you're the smartest person in the room and that "room" has sufficient autonomy, I think you can focus on pushing the boundaries of what you do. Usually the kind of departments/companies/institutions that let you do that are R&D-focused but I think it's possible to be the smartest person in the room and still learn, it's just going to be self directed and you're going to need a lot of autonomy to do it.
Shatnerz 5y ago
> Making a post on HN asking how people know when it's time for a new job. This is played off as a joke, but this 100% resonates with me. I always find myself in denial when I know that leaving is the best choice and I always seek advice and validation elsewhere, be it an old mentor or a HN thread. I have yet to regret leaving a position, but I still fall for the same trap every time.

karmakaze 5y ago

> when you become the smartest person in the room This is interesting, could you elaborate on it? Certainly within any group someone would be the 'smartest' providing the most leadership or context. Following this would have that person leaving, then the next and so on. Or is this another way of saying when you're not learning from your co-workers anymore (as mentioned in another comment)? I find myself trending to learning more about people and teaching even though staying on the individual contributor track. It's not that there isn't more to learn but the development methods become well known.

hardwaresofton 5y ago
Well it comes from a common idiom, though I'm not sure it's from confucius[0]. Basically, if you're working at a firm which doesn't specialize in networking, but you really care about networking, you'll probably be the smartest person in the room with regards to that. In general it's when you're not learning from your coworkers, but also when you're not doing things that push forward your knowledge as well (hence the research caveat) or with lots of autonomy. That said, it depends on what your career goals are -- if you're dedicated to craftsmanship, then managing people isn't necessarily your interest. If you're interested in being a leader, then that is somewhat at odds with focusing only on craftsmanship, etc. > I find myself trending to learning more about people and teaching even though staying on the individual contributor track. It's not that there isn't more to learn but the development methods become well known. Another platitude/saying is that teaching is the best way to learn -- reaching mastery that enables you to teach is great, and if you like to teach then it's fantastic, but what lies beyond mastery is research, so it's more of a question of if you want to do that or not, or if you're at a local minima (or really a local knowledge boundary) in relation to your knowledge. If you think it's a local minima then maybe it's time to move to a company which does more of what you're interested in, if not, then you spend your time researching (and/or teaching others). [0]: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7854941-if-you-are-the-smartest-person-in-the-room-then https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7854941-if-you-are-the-smar...
- karmakaze 5y ago
  Thanks, this gives a balanced perspective of my landscape and how or why I might want to move in it.

codingdave 5y ago

> when you become the smartest person in the room, assuming... Also assuming that there are other rooms - once you really work your way into a niche, and are the most senior guy in the room... you may also be the most senior guy in the world for your niche. At that point, you need to think about whether it is time to go to a new niche, or if you are OK just sitting on top for a while.

hardwaresofton 5y ago
It's a point I didn't flesh out too much in the original comment but if you're the smartest person in the room and that "room" has sufficient autonomy, I think you can focus on pushing the boundaries of what you do. Usually the kind of departments/companies/institutions that let you do that are R&D-focused but I think it's possible to be the smartest person in the room and still learn, it's just going to be self directed and you're going to need a lot of autonomy to do it.

Shatnerz 5y ago

> Making a post on HN asking how people know when it's time for a new job. This is played off as a joke, but this 100% resonates with me. I always find myself in denial when I know that leaving is the best choice and I always seek advice and validation elsewhere, be it an old mentor or a HN thread. I have yet to regret leaving a position, but I still fall for the same trap every time.