3 ms·

This sounds so much like my company. Add in that management will make commitments to customers without having any idea what it will take to execute, schedule 2

This sounds so much like my company. Add in that management will make commitments to customers without having any idea what it will take to execute, schedule 20 hours of meetings per week, expect us to work a total of 60-80 hours a week to meet the arbitrary schedule, and also change priorities seemingly at random based on which customer is making the most noise. The best part is HR regularly talks about how we are a certified great place to work with amazing work life balance. I'd quit but equity...

300bps 4y ago
schedule 20 hours of meetings per week Have had this problem so much. The problem is managers and analysts are productive through meetings. Software Engineers are productive in blocks of 4-6 hours of focused concentration. Many managers don't realize this and forward FYI meeting invites to developers all day long.
- domador 4y ago
  A relevant essay: Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html (It's by Paul Graham, but I won't assume everyone on Hacker News has read it.)
- ipaddr 4y ago
  Just ask if you should be focusing on anything other than your important project and if they could help with the communication around pushing the deadline out a day to attend this meeting. Or just skip it and say you are working on x or y.
janetacarr 4y ago
> I'd quit but equity... From what I've seen, those golden handcuffs are usually gold-plated handcuffs with the same steel underneath.
- ambivalents 4y ago
  Meaning, the eventual payout is rarely what you think it is?
  - janetacarr 4y ago
    In a sense, yes. To be honest I didn't really want to spell it out because I like leaving something to the imagination for my readers. Sometimes they're solid gold (ie, preferred equity) and one has to ask themselves whether or not it's worth their time, attention, security, and happiness. Often the handcuffs are gold-plated (ie, employee options), and give the illusion they're worth suffering for in a similar manner as the solid gold ones. At the end of the day, they're both handcuffs and serve the same function as the steel ones.

300bps 4y ago

schedule 20 hours of meetings per week Have had this problem so much. The problem is managers and analysts are productive through meetings. Software Engineers are productive in blocks of 4-6 hours of focused concentration. Many managers don't realize this and forward FYI meeting invites to developers all day long.

domador 4y ago
A relevant essay: Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html (It's by Paul Graham, but I won't assume everyone on Hacker News has read it.)
ipaddr 4y ago
Just ask if you should be focusing on anything other than your important project and if they could help with the communication around pushing the deadline out a day to attend this meeting. Or just skip it and say you are working on x or y.

janetacarr 4y ago

> I'd quit but equity... From what I've seen, those golden handcuffs are usually gold-plated handcuffs with the same steel underneath.

ambivalents 4y ago
Meaning, the eventual payout is rarely what you think it is?
- janetacarr 4y ago
  In a sense, yes. To be honest I didn't really want to spell it out because I like leaving something to the imagination for my readers. Sometimes they're solid gold (ie, preferred equity) and one has to ask themselves whether or not it's worth their time, attention, security, and happiness. Often the handcuffs are gold-plated (ie, employee options), and give the illusion they're worth suffering for in a similar manner as the solid gold ones. At the end of the day, they're both handcuffs and serve the same function as the steel ones.