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> [10] Make your project robust to re-orgs. A company management hierarchy is inherently fragile (a tree is a 1-connected graph, after all); socialize the proje
by physicles 5y ago
> [10] Make your project robust to re-orgs. A company management hierarchy is inherently fragile (a tree is a 1-connected graph, after all); socialize the project continuously with managers who might take over in the future. Do whatever it takes to make sure that manager churn does not result in unfair career outcomes for ICs.
> [17] For storage systems, bias heavily in the beginning towards consistency and durability rather than availability; these are harder to measure and harder to fix if broken. Because availability is easier to measure, there will be external pressure to prioritize it first; push back.
It's kind of crazy how well the author is able to move from the very top to the very bottom of the technical project management stack.
- ketzo 5y agoThis is, to me, the definition of a senior software engineer. Awareness across every single part of the process of making software. Not expertise, necessarily, but enough knowledge to know what to be on the lookout for.
- polskibus 5y agoMore of a team leader at least, non-IC. Some Senior ICs deliberately don't want any part in politics, just want a task and want to get it done (see for example advice on HN about avoiding meetings and politics at all costs).
- penguin_booze 5y agoOne ill effect of not deciding to participate is that you'll be subjected to rules that which you play no part in establishing. I think it's about the balance to strike between being well and content with what's going around, and needing to exercise control to change the environment.
- machinesbuddy 5y agoWell said! Same as a country/society.
- jkob_ 5y agoSorry, but what does IC mean?
- polskibus 5y agoA friend described it to me once "a leaf node" in entire company structure - not a manager. I think it is a good description, also reason why saying "engineer" does not cover all ICs.
- lumos_42 5y agoIndividual contributor
- mellavora 5y agosome people would say "Independent Contributor", which appears to be a level in some large corporations.
- khamba 5y agoIndividual Contributor. ICs are not managers, or Team Leads, or any of people leading positions.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- uvdn7 5y agoThe post and the author are both absolutely amazing. But don’t you think the fact that our organizations require someone to be “full stack” organizationally to be a good tech lead is a failure of itself? I wish organizations can support those talented engineers even though they might not have the best “people/soft skills”.
- machinesbuddy 5y agoYou're right but it's basically the culture which is (usually?) a chicken and egg problem.