HN Explorer

Ask HN: Explaining how programmers work to non-programmer workplace?

4 points by badclient ↗ HN
I am the first on-site programmer and I find it super hard to get any significant programming work done during the working hours on weekdays. This is mainly due to the physical office setup(open, non-quiet office) and folks needing something from me or having a question at least once an hour.

So, what do I do? We have a bunch of offshore devs and I sit next to the PMs. I am able to offer advice in terms of prioritizing features etc. and doing the management part of my job.

However, the coding part of my job(at least 50%), I can rarely do anything that involves even tiniest of problem solving. I am left mostly to do quick 5 minute fixes or copy edits.

The real coding? I do it over the weekend. I just pushed a tiny feature that took me 45 minutes. I spent five scattered hours on Friday on the same thing making zero progress.

Ideas? Solutions? I already tried proposing to my boss(the CEO) to let me play with my hours and work evenings but he felt I should be around the office when others are.

4 comments

[ 2.8 ms ] story [ 18.4 ms ] thread
michaelpinto
What if you were to stop thinking of yourself as a programmer and become more of a CTO in training? Your value to your team isn't doing code but in helping them work with outside coders and making sure everything runs smoothly. Instead of fighting that role why not embrace it? Code is a commodity, but managing code and being "that gray person" has real value to a company.
badclient
That is what the CEO's hope was by bringing me in. However, the company's existing devs(all remote; mostly offshore) have been with them for couple years and are weary of reporting to anyone other than the CEO.

Bottom line: I feel I can get more output done by just working alone than trying to delegate the same programming task among the devs. This won't scale obviously. But the company is pre-rev and not at a point where it needs scaling(the CEO probably disagrees with me on this).

michaelpinto
Re-read what you just wrote and you'll see the following:

CEO's hope by brining me in - vs - what i want to get done

I think I'd follow the CEOs lead — my bet is there's something that is making him unhappy with the offshore team and they know it. And frankly it doesn't matter what you or the offshore team team -- what should matter is what the CEO wants. Frankly my bet is that the CEO is seeing something in you that you haven't yet.

Suggestion: Why don't you learn something about managing? Even if you learn to manage your own time it can only help you. I'd suggest reading the "Mythical Man Month" -- it's one of the best software project management books ever written and would help you explain what's needed to management.

badclient
Cool, will read Mythical Man Month. Thanks for your tips.