I'm going to inflict some blistering cynicism on this thread. You don't succeed in most environments based on whether or not you're productive, competent, or e

I'm going to inflict some blistering cynicism on this thread. You don't succeed in most environments based on whether or not you're productive, competent, or expert at what you do. None of that really matters once a company gets to the point where decisions are no longer being made by technical people. So, you have to suffer. You have to deal with the meetings and the social expectations. Most developers work in an environment where availability matters more than excellence. In at 9:45, when the boss is in at 9:30? Stee-rike one! Miss the daily standup? Stee-rike two! There is a positive spin you can put on it. Most companies won't actually fire you for skipping those meetings. They're mandatory, but not that mandatory. However, you'll just end up increasingly out of the loop and with a negative reputation... and eventually lose your job, but it will take a long time-- possibly 6 to 12 months, and certainly long enough to get another one. Attending that 15-minute status meeting rather than skipping it probably has as much of an impact on your political standing (and, thus, career) as a 2-hour swing in the overall length of your day. So the efficiency ratio of that meeting to normal ass-in-chair time is 8-to-1. No, it's not what you'd like to be doing with your time, but it's work, and most people deal with a lot worse than status meetings. The game in most places isn't about getting the most done, or getting into flow and building great software. It's about creating an image so that managerial types, many of whom operate on antiquated emotional metrics of availability and subordination, feel confident in you. It's a game to be played, not a meritocracy.