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Everybody wants to work on the fun stuff. Turns out in software, getting something to actually deliver value (meaning convert it from prototype or proof of conc

Everybody wants to work on the fun stuff. Turns out in software, getting something to actually deliver value (meaning convert it from prototype or proof of concept to something running in production) is 90% not fun stuff. Most people learn that in their first job. As a software engineer the only way I’d become a “data scientist/trader’s servant” is if I’m getting paid exorbitantly. Otherwise it’s the worst kind of work because someone else is going to get credit for everything that goes right while I take the flak for all the hard stuff. The converse is that to get a software engineer to be your servant you better also be really good, or else you’re probably going to end up paired with someone who doesn’t have the luxury of taking other jobs and maybe won’t be particularly good at getting your stuff to actually run.

ClumsyPilot 4y ago
I strongly disagree, most software engineers will not have excellent knowledge of modelling, and someone who is mainly a data scientist will not be able to compete with a dedicated engineer that studied distributed systems, kubernetes, and knows undefined C behaviour by heart. When building a house, the guy that lay concrete are welders are different people, Anastesiologists and surgeons are not interchangeable, etc. Many Industries will produce code, just like many people often need to nail two wooden bits together, but that does not make them a qualified structural engineer.
- GauntletWizard 4y ago
  No, but they'd sure as heck have some overlap - and a working knowledge of python happens to be that overlap.
zem 4y ago
everyone differs on what the "fun stuff" is. i would find doing data modelling and statistics unbearably tedious, but quite enjoy taking working code and refactoring it to be performant, maintainable and well tested.
plastiquebeech 4y ago
One of the first lessons that a junior developer learns is: >My job is not to write code. My job is to solve business problems efficiently, using computers as a medium. Sounds like data scientists have the same problem. Sometimes, to solve business problems efficiently, you have to step out of your comfort zone and learn to do things that seem ridiculous. Why just the other day, I had to write a report for humans to read. Using words and pictures! What am I, a technical writer?

ClumsyPilot 4y ago

I strongly disagree, most software engineers will not have excellent knowledge of modelling, and someone who is mainly a data scientist will not be able to compete with a dedicated engineer that studied distributed systems, kubernetes, and knows undefined C behaviour by heart. When building a house, the guy that lay concrete are welders are different people, Anastesiologists and surgeons are not interchangeable, etc. Many Industries will produce code, just like many people often need to nail two wooden bits together, but that does not make them a qualified structural engineer.

GauntletWizard 4y ago
No, but they'd sure as heck have some overlap - and a working knowledge of python happens to be that overlap.

zem 4y ago

everyone differs on what the "fun stuff" is. i would find doing data modelling and statistics unbearably tedious, but quite enjoy taking working code and refactoring it to be performant, maintainable and well tested.

plastiquebeech 4y ago

One of the first lessons that a junior developer learns is: >My job is not to write code. My job is to solve business problems efficiently, using computers as a medium. Sounds like data scientists have the same problem. Sometimes, to solve business problems efficiently, you have to step out of your comfort zone and learn to do things that seem ridiculous. Why just the other day, I had to write a report for humans to read. Using words and pictures! What am I, a technical writer?