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>and some of us get fooled into thinking we are equally as capable as the code itself IMHO burnout as a SW dev isn't because of the coding itself, I find that

>and some of us get fooled into thinking we are equally as capable as the code itself IMHO burnout as a SW dev isn't because of the coding itself, I find that the easiest part to deal with. It's the constant pressure to stay up to date an an industry that changes faster and faster and a job market that get more and more competitive. It's the constant sprinting towards more and more ambitious arbitrary deadlines set by sales or management using half-assed Agile and Scrum processes imposed onto you by clueless higher-ups. It's constant interruptions and multitasking in several tools you have to keep up with throughout the day: chats, calls, emails, Jira, etc. while also being expected to focus and code. It's the exhausting and time consuming interview practices. It's the idiotic and overpaid management and execs who treat you like a disposable resource and thinks colorful beanbags, ping-pong and foosball tables would make me want to spend 2h commuting to the office every day to sit in a noisy open office with a view of a concrete parking lot, and that pictures of employees in funny situations with moustaches drawn on them and turned into memes and plastered around the office means a "friendly" atmosphere and it's what I would enjoy instead of WFH in peace and quiet (maybe I'm too old or something but I can't stand my workplace treating me, a professional in my 30's, like I'm a childish toddler looking to join some kindergarten playground). Coding and debugging alone is very pleasant for me, it's why I became a dev, but it's everything else related to this industry that breaks my will to live.

silveroriole 3y ago
Agree 100%. My old workplace is making everyone commute to office next week so that they can “team bond and destress” by playing with office-provided toys. Really. It’s so patronising and I hate the control bosses think they have over your entire life and personality instead of just your work output.
spacemadness 3y ago
On my most cynical days all I see agile/scrum used for is a selfish tool to appease stakeholders anxiety that their directives are being worked on by the demanded date and to give the micromanaging admin types something to do. It seems to effectively transfer the stakeholder level anxiety directly onto the people doing the work. Also you’re not “too old.” It’s called wisdom to see through the emotional manipulation for what it is. That clarity can be punishing when you don’t want to just go along with it and the toxic positivity pushed in the corporate world.
cableshaft 3y ago
Completely agree. My current job let me WFH the past couple years but now they're insisting I do the 2H+ commute again four days a week once my current project ends, and I don't think I'm going to be able to manage it long (and the office culture is exactly what you've described). If they put me on another project I can WFH from after a few weeks, I'll stick around at least a bit longer, but I don't think I'll last if they keep expecting me to go to the office. Tech job recession be damned, I'll eat some of my savings and sit out for a few months until I find something else if I must, as much as I hate that idea. But even that I expect will still have a lot of that bullshit you're mentioning. I don't have a problem with coding itself, I'm having fun still working on my game in my spare time, relaxing in a quiet room at a library, but in a corporate environment my brain just feels so fractured and distracted and the projects don't really hold any interest to me.

silveroriole 3y ago

Agree 100%. My old workplace is making everyone commute to office next week so that they can “team bond and destress” by playing with office-provided toys. Really. It’s so patronising and I hate the control bosses think they have over your entire life and personality instead of just your work output.

spacemadness 3y ago

On my most cynical days all I see agile/scrum used for is a selfish tool to appease stakeholders anxiety that their directives are being worked on by the demanded date and to give the micromanaging admin types something to do. It seems to effectively transfer the stakeholder level anxiety directly onto the people doing the work. Also you’re not “too old.” It’s called wisdom to see through the emotional manipulation for what it is. That clarity can be punishing when you don’t want to just go along with it and the toxic positivity pushed in the corporate world.

cableshaft 3y ago

Completely agree. My current job let me WFH the past couple years but now they're insisting I do the 2H+ commute again four days a week once my current project ends, and I don't think I'm going to be able to manage it long (and the office culture is exactly what you've described). If they put me on another project I can WFH from after a few weeks, I'll stick around at least a bit longer, but I don't think I'll last if they keep expecting me to go to the office. Tech job recession be damned, I'll eat some of my savings and sit out for a few months until I find something else if I must, as much as I hate that idea. But even that I expect will still have a lot of that bullshit you're mentioning. I don't have a problem with coding itself, I'm having fun still working on my game in my spare time, relaxing in a quiet room at a library, but in a corporate environment my brain just feels so fractured and distracted and the projects don't really hold any interest to me.