bryanmillstein

We built something for health tech companies.

Healthcare devs out there, if you need to integrate with eCW I can help.

Have you ever tried talking about it? If so, what reaction did you get from people?

It sounds like the hardest part is getting people to authentically pursue it in the first place. That is a big hurdle.

Have you had success informing others and getting them to see the value of it?

How so?

Have you ever been in a corporate environment where you could give real feedback?

Thank you for sharing. Based on that description I can see why you doubt its usefulness. I've been a part of retros that cover the whole spectrum of usefulness. Some feel like going through the motions just so we can check a box whereas as others have helped transform our team dynamics.

Did you you always a scrum master running the retro?

This is definitely a challenge. You can spend an hour coming up with great ideas for how to improve and then forget all about them as soon as you start the next project. I've seen that happen a lot.

Have you tried any solutions for this?

When you mention blaming do you mean trying to hold someone accountable when they've done something wrong?

Well then it sounds like there's an opportunity to improve that relationship!

Ah I should have specified that. I meant Product Manager.

What does a single notification platform look like to you? Is it a web, desktop or mobile app? Would you use a separate application just for keeping track of your notifications? I can see how it would be useful but also it seems like it could be a pain to add another app you have to give attention to.

How do you set things to high priority? Are you flagging emails after you read them?

Have you tried anything to solve this? Are there any products you've come across that try to solve this? I also have this problem but I'm not aware of any companies that are trying to solve it.

I can relate to that. I've used scrum at several companies but only two have done it the "correct" way. All the other companies made an attempt but I found that doing scrum halfway can be worse than not doing it at all. We were getting all the overhead of the process without the benefits.

Question about the general process you described, how did that work for you? Did you have any issues or complaints? Did your team have any trouble hitting deadlines?

What development process do you use?

Lol

Automate resume screening and interview scheduling so you can spend 100% of your time talking to qualified candidates.

Added both. Thanks again!

Great suggestions. Thank you!

This was one of the discussion forums. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23584241

Oh ok, I understand. That sounds like a toxic environment management has created. This advice may sound tone deaf considering our current economic environment but maybe you should start looking for a new job.

Putting energy into a job search may alleviate some of the anxiety around competing with the interns. At the very least you will have made some progress on building a pipeline of new companies so if you do lose your job you will not be starting from scratch.

The benefit of this is that you can add it to your resume. I've hired many engineers and I always like seeing experience mentoring younger developers. So while it is unfortunate that you are not getting additional compensation, this experience will pay you back in the future.

I think you nailed it by pointing out how overlooked the research part of development is. Technical folks often understand this but it can be a challenging concept for people who have not worked as a developer. They can have a distorted view of the research to coding ratio. I imagine they often believe that writing code takes up 90% of a developer's time when in reality time spent researching and thinking is the dominant activity.

I can relate to this. I've experienced each of these things and the crushing feeling they bring. I've also been on the other side and experienced the joy of a team that values me.

I've been an engineering manager and have helped people find their way through these situations. If you want someone to talk to I'd be happy to have a phone call. You can message me on LinkedIn.

linkedin.com/in/bryanmillstein

Self awareness is key. I have noticed a substantial improvement in my ability to navigate anxiety since following a regular meditation practice.

Being able to separate my being from my thoughts has been a breakthrough. I cannot stress enough how important it is to shift the thinking from "I am anxious" to "I am currently experiencing anxiety". Anxiety is not your identity, it is a fleeting emotion.

This will continue to be a challenge because humans are simply not great at estimating. I have had success by explaining to managers that a big part of my job is to help them manage risk. In order for me to do that properly I typically need more information than is initially present so that I can give a high confidence estimate. I might say something like, "I can give you a low confidence ball park estimate right now but if you give me a few hours to research then I can greatly increase the confidence level."

After all, you know the least about a project at the beginning therefore no one should have a high degree of confidence in estimates given then.

> Mostly it's because I'm facing a problem I don't know how to solve. And I'm expected to somehow predict when it'll be done.

Does your team allow for knowledge buying tasks? For example, if our team needs to implement a continuous integration solution I might suggest to first create a research task to evaluate the tools available. Once we have that knowledge we can choose the best option for us and create the task to implement it. The way you can sell this is by saying, "I can give you an estimate now but I'll know a lot more after a few hours researching the problem. If you give me that time then I can give you an estimate with a higher level of confidence."

> Another scenario is when I'm asked for updates but in reality the status hasn't changed

I've struggled with this as well. Especially when the person asking for the update is not technical and therefore has a hard time relating to the complexity of the problem. In this situation your instinct may be to tell the person what you think they want to hear. Something like, "I'm figuring out the solution and should be done soon." I know it's uncomfortable but you are better off being honest about your progress. Tell them that the problem is more complex than you initially thought and you are having to do more research to find the right solution. Don't forget that research is part of the job so looking for solutions is doing work. Don't feel bad about that.

With that being said, there is nothing wrong with asking for help from other developers when you are stuck. Asking for help is a sign of strength. It is good to try solve problems on your own before asking for help but do not drive yourself crazy. I have spent far too long banging my head against the wall looking for solutions. These days I am much more comfortable asking for help.

This sounds stressful. I'm sorry you are not in an environment where you can take your time and ask these important questions.

Keep going. Your questions are reasonable and relevant. Understanding the "why" of what you are doing is crucial. It may seem like a hopeless effort but it will get easier. The better you understand a problem the better you will be able to solve it. It may be slow in the beginning but your confidence will build over time and people will begin to appreciate your thoughtful questions.

You sound like a curious person. I'm reminded of the most curious person I've read, Richard Feynman. He relentlessly asked questions and sought true understanding at a fundamental level. If you haven't read his book "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!", you should. It's wonderfully entertaining and will perhaps encourage you to keep asking your questions.

This is such a common issue. Estimates are not commitments. When in your process does this estimate get created? Is it during a backlog grooming or a sprint planning session or some other time? Also, who is doing the estimating?