Ask HN: What motivates you to do your best work, and work hardest? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What motivates you to do your best work, and work hardest?

11 pointsandrewstuart16 comments

What are the circumstances under which you give the most, work the hardest, put in your best and strive for the most awesome outcome?

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When my cowokers and manager make me feel like we are in this together and treat me like a human not just someone taking in coffee and pumping out code

When I've got a clear understanding of the design, including where and why tradeoffs were made (ie, we chose X method to optimize CPU time over memory). I enjoy just cranking out code, solving small problems, enjoying the fruits of good architectural design and planning.

I'm at my least motivated when I'm frustrated, which usually involves pre-code planning phase but feeling like I don't have enough information about the project requirements to choose; not enough time to R&D between the choices also promotes this frustration.

I've generally found this form of decision roadblock to be my worst (and maybe only?) writers block.

When I feel supported by management, even when it's not something they want to hear -- also when that support leads to a good work-life balance. I'm not talking anything crazy, just I put in my 8 hours so don't call me when I'm at home.

Too many managers fail to realize that when an engineer is not in the office, often times they are thinking of the problems they will need to solve next. A little outside time thinking generally leads to better solutions then "we need this now" attitude that I see so many inexperienced managers do.

I work best and am most motivated when I am well rested. When I get very tired I find myself feeling almost depressed and am unmotivated to do anything.

When I see visible, tangible results from my work whether its more revenue, happier users, etc

Having my name attached to anything that gets put in front of people who I know makes me want to put up my best work. It's motivating because I don't want to not embarrass myself to friends and acquaintances and on the flip side I want to blow them away w/ the quality my work.

If you read carefully most of the higher rated answers (name attached to work, management listen to me, etc) here can be summed to one primal thing: people want to feel they are important. That's what I also want and where I do my best.

- when I think about eventually getting financial freedom to focus on doing things meaningful for me,

- when I help my colleagues to grow professionally and personally,

- strong desire to deliver a sophisticated piece of tech or master a technology.

When I’m happy at home.

Well said, seems like a big base that has to be right for anything else to be :).

When I enjoy what I am doing. The funny part is that I would not call this work, which is exactly the reason why I can "work" that hard.

When I feel like I am doing good in the world, and doing that work with people I like. ESP if I get to interact a little w/ clients we help.

When I can financially gain from the situation. I love to write code, but I dont code for free.

enjoy what you’re working on

hustle free environment, happy faces around, sense of belonging to the company.

When I enjoy what I am doing and I feel like I'm learning something

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