4 ms·

New title - "Why CONTINUOUS crunch mode doesn't work." This feels a bit link-baity, because it says nothing of how short, uncommonly used crunch modes help or

New title - "Why CONTINUOUS crunch mode doesn't work." This feels a bit link-baity, because it says nothing of how short, uncommonly used crunch modes help or hurt productivity - just how super-long work weeks are eventually more detrimental than helpful. Edit: I would posit that short bursts of overtime - perhaps a single 60-80 hour week at the ramp up to a major release can actually be helpful if not exciting - if used quite sparingly. Research on that theory would be more interesting to me.

moron4hire 12y ago
Hopefully, such a study would include a study on how often the promise of only one week of overtime turns into multi-week slogs.
watwut 12y ago
Short bursts of overtime is not crunch. Crunch is by definition long term. Anyway, I recall that you can actually raise short term productivity for up to four weeks or so, but expect lower output following weeks. The productivity falls if crunch runs longer then six weeks. Not sure about in between. That was just one study, so take it or leave it. Last note: if you have 60-80 hour work weeks before every major release, then there is something wrong with your planning or process. In any case, it does not sounds like the release will be much tested before shipment.
- themartorana 12y ago
  I was almost with you until you got to the last paragraph which is both judgmental and horribly, horribly wrong. Not only are our releases incredibly well tested (we have millions of players - there is no "untested") but we keep things pretty relaxed during normal development, and pre-release "crunches" result in improved team cohesion and morale. Releases feel like huge wins, and we always celebrate. Please don't presume to know anything about anyone else without any evidence or first-hand knowledge of a situation. It's rather unbecoming.
- sitkack 12y ago
  Crunch is longer than usual work with a looming deadline. Crunch doesn't have to be long term. Crunch can be working for 7 hrs seeing you are going to make your goal and busting ass for 3 more hours. The slope should match up with the expected outcome, mx+b or else it is futile and not crunch. Crunch should be "doable". What the author was describing is a death-march. The goal isn't to arrive at a location but to kill as many people as possible in the journey. Ref, trail of tears.
julie1 12y ago
The bigger the burn in, the bigger the burn out. The more often the burn in, the bigger the burn out. If you think burnn-outs are cool, I can package you all of mine with their consequences in a small box and I can send them to you by mail. I'd be delighted, truly. Such a shame it is not possible. And crunch are just burnin, the maniacal addictive phase before the depressive one. I am not sure living like unbalanced junkies should be considered a good idea. We are not politicians yet.
emodendroket 12y ago
I'd suggest you read all the way down through the section entitled "What About Short-Term Output?" where this question is addressed.
ww520 12y ago
The problem with short term burst of overtime is the setting of the wrong expectation. People who only see result but don't know the process would expect the same result the next time. You are under the gun to do it again. Doing it enough time and it becomes crunch mode.

moron4hire 12y ago

Hopefully, such a study would include a study on how often the promise of only one week of overtime turns into multi-week slogs.

watwut 12y ago

Short bursts of overtime is not crunch. Crunch is by definition long term. Anyway, I recall that you can actually raise short term productivity for up to four weeks or so, but expect lower output following weeks. The productivity falls if crunch runs longer then six weeks. Not sure about in between. That was just one study, so take it or leave it. Last note: if you have 60-80 hour work weeks before every major release, then there is something wrong with your planning or process. In any case, it does not sounds like the release will be much tested before shipment.

themartorana 12y ago
I was almost with you until you got to the last paragraph which is both judgmental and horribly, horribly wrong. Not only are our releases incredibly well tested (we have millions of players - there is no "untested") but we keep things pretty relaxed during normal development, and pre-release "crunches" result in improved team cohesion and morale. Releases feel like huge wins, and we always celebrate. Please don't presume to know anything about anyone else without any evidence or first-hand knowledge of a situation. It's rather unbecoming.
sitkack 12y ago
Crunch is longer than usual work with a looming deadline. Crunch doesn't have to be long term. Crunch can be working for 7 hrs seeing you are going to make your goal and busting ass for 3 more hours. The slope should match up with the expected outcome, mx+b or else it is futile and not crunch. Crunch should be "doable". What the author was describing is a death-march. The goal isn't to arrive at a location but to kill as many people as possible in the journey. Ref, trail of tears.

julie1 12y ago

The bigger the burn in, the bigger the burn out. The more often the burn in, the bigger the burn out. If you think burnn-outs are cool, I can package you all of mine with their consequences in a small box and I can send them to you by mail. I'd be delighted, truly. Such a shame it is not possible. And crunch are just burnin, the maniacal addictive phase before the depressive one. I am not sure living like unbalanced junkies should be considered a good idea. We are not politicians yet.

emodendroket 12y ago

I'd suggest you read all the way down through the section entitled "What About Short-Term Output?" where this question is addressed.

ww520 12y ago

The problem with short term burst of overtime is the setting of the wrong expectation. People who only see result but don't know the process would expect the same result the next time. You are under the gun to do it again. Doing it enough time and it becomes crunch mode.