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> HN is filled with people who think engineering productivity is simple to measure. I think the prevailing (correct) consensus is that developer productivity i
by dijit 6mo ago
> HN is filled with people who think engineering productivity is simple to measure.
I think the prevailing (correct) consensus is that developer productivity is actually very hard to measure, and every time it is attempted the measure is immediately made a target making the whole thing pointless even if it had been a solid measurement- which it wasn't.
IDK where you're getting the idea here that measuring productivity of anyone who isn't a factory worker is easy.
- hyperpape 6mo agoI do not think it is easy, like I said. I am saying other people are acting like it’s easy. See the second comment on this article. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47976781 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47976781 See @emp17344 responding to me.
- dijit 6mo agoThat second comment isn't making that statement though. It's saying that: cost vs revenue is something we can see. If I buy a plow for $2,500 and it enables growth of $5000, then arguing "the plow was expensive" is a moot point. It doesn't make any argument about measured productivity, only investment vs return.
- mulmen 6mo agoThe difficulty in measuring productivity is the attribution. How do you know the new plow enabled growth?
- dijit 6mo agobecause trend and changing fewer variables.
- mulmen 6mo agoIf you could actually prove that you wouldn’t be posting it on HN, you’d be shopping for a mega yacht.
- dijit 6mo agoWhat? Theres hundreds of MBAs who know this and it’s used to squeeze the workforce. Thats why its the default thinking from them, because it works sometimes. I think you missed something.
- tomjakubowski 6mo agoIs it easy to measure a factory worker's productivity? It would seem surprising and interesting if every job's productivity is hard to measure except for one particular kind.
- dijit 6mo agoAny job where there's a definable output can be measured. Factory workers are one type. Others might be farmers; if they're able to yield x tonnes of valid crops out of y acres.