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The conundrum is that unlike manual labor, under some circumstances programming can actually see increase in productivity per hour the more time per day you spe
by Goladus 13y ago
The conundrum is that unlike manual labor, under some circumstances programming can actually see increase in productivity per hour the more time per day you spend at it. (Less mental context switching? I don't know why it is)
But that's usually only if you don't factor in resulting burnout. Experienced developers recognize this and is why they're more reluctant to work for hour-demanders.
- rhizome 13y agounder some circumstances programming can actually see increase in productivity per hour the more time per day you spend at it. What circumstances?
- eli_gottlieb 13y agoIf you really manage to achieve Flow State and have a really good view of the problem clear in your mind, then pulling long hours can be very helpful. I think most really good programmers know just how this feels, and when to do it. Problem is, it's not a "superpower" that can be switched on at-will; it's a state of concentration that requires not only work ethic but a real, intense interest in the subject and a lack of competing thoughts and obligations.
- rhizome 13y agoA manager who is demanding high hours is not going to be refraining from piling on the distractions and obligations, because pushing out those competing demands are exactly why they demand the hours.
- Goladus 13y agoI wonder if young programmers and programmers from less-developed countries have fewer competing thoughts and obligations.
- me2i81 13y agoI worked with a guy who would go on a big coke binge and was really quite productive for about 72 hours. He would then do almost nothing for the next three weeks but complain about how hard he'd worked.
- rumcajz 13y agoThere is such a thing as programming trance, with working 16hrs a day and very high productivity. But then, you need an environment fully devoid of distractions (like working from home if you are single or a locked personal office otherwise), no interactions with your boss or co-workers etc. Unlikely to happen in a company where long working hours are a norm. Also, programming trance can last at most a week and you can't do it more often than once or twice a year. There are physical limits to what your brain can sustain.
- rhizome 13y agoAs you allude, that practice is unsustainable. These points are even supported by science: http://devopsangle.com/2012/04/18/what-research-says-about-working-long-hours/ http://devopsangle.com/2012/04/18/what-research-says-about-w...
- SamReidHughes 13y agoWorking more hours per day can mean you're more familiar with the entire project, making your per-hour efficiency higher.
- PhasmaFelis 13y agoWhen I pull an all-nighter, I build momentum like a freight train. In one 16- to 20-hour session, I can get a solid week's worth of work done. ...And then I'm so exhausted that I'm useless for a week afterward. So it's not really all that useful unless I'm up against an absolutely immobile deadline.