4 ms·
Another example of the dangers of following Joel's advice on software managment. If you think your company is like his... it's probably not. I'm sure it works
by antipax 18y ago
Another example of the dangers of following Joel's advice on software managment. If you think your company is like his... it's probably not.
I'm sure it works amazingly at his company, but his is almost always the exception to the rule.
- df07 18y agoWhile this may be true, I didn't really get that from the article. It sounded like the system was largely a success, except that they set the maximum level at their highest-ranked people and stopped. Those people got frustrated because they had no way to move upwards. At Fog Creek, there are several levels that no developers have achieved yet. I'm fairly certain that if someone did achieve those levels they'd rearrange the system to create a few more levels, so that everyone has something to reach for and some idea of how to continue to improve themselves.
- JacobAldridge 18y agoI combine that with the quote "I'm a company starter, not really an empire builder". The author couldn't see the bigger opportunity for the business, and the staff starting banging their heads on his limited vision. If he'd had a much bigger vision, he probably could have (as you indicate Fog Creek has done) included future levels for growth.
- pwim 18y agoThis comment reminds me of http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=538466 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=538466
- jedc 18y agoOrganizations are complex systems. Cherry-picking parts of one system (whether it's from Joel, 37signals, or anyone else) is essentially useless outside of the original context. It's why culture is so important to get right from the start; once "baked in" it's very difficult to change.