Comments on: How Can Software Development Avoid The Need For A Hero? http://regulargeek.com/2010/01/19/how-can-software-development-avoid-the-need-for-a-hero/ Where programming, the internet and social media collide. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:47:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rob Diana http://regulargeek.com/2010/01/19/how-can-software-development-avoid-the-need-for-a-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-3524 Rob Diana Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:55:27 +0000 http://regulargeek.com/?p=1412#comment-3524 Kevin I understand where you are coming from. Once you are spoiled by a good manager, bad managers really look even worse than they are. However, asking you to stay later just to show dedication is one thing I will never understand. Kevin

I understand where you are coming from. Once you are spoiled by a good manager, bad managers really look even worse than they are. However, asking you to stay later just to show dedication is one thing I will never understand.

]]> By: Kevin Webber http://regulargeek.com/2010/01/19/how-can-software-development-avoid-the-need-for-a-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-3523 Kevin Webber Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:50:36 +0000 http://regulargeek.com/?p=1412#comment-3523 Hero programmers are usually a failure of management. Either they expect too much from one individual, or too little from the rest of the team. I was lucky in my career. My first manager was awesome, the kind of manager programmers dream about. She saw that I was morphing into the hero programmer, and pulled me aside to remind me that development is a team effort. She asked a lot of questions, and after our conversation, put in a request to HR for an additional developer. She didn't stop there; I was spending a lot of time on build related issues too, so she went out of her way to create an entirely new role for a build manager (she new it would take a long time to create this new role so requested both at the same time). And this was about ten years ago before build managers were ubiquitous. Contrast that to a team I was on where a hero programmer who put in 12-16 hour days was promoted to manager. Needless to say the environment was a total nightmare. He couldn't figure out why people actually left work to go home. He actually told me once that even if I didn't have work to do, I should stick around late at night to display my dedication to the rest of the team so they'd feel more compelled to stay late themselves. Forget staying late, I left the team. :) Hero programmers are usually a failure of management. Either they expect too much from one individual, or too little from the rest of the team. I was lucky in my career. My first manager was awesome, the kind of manager programmers dream about. She saw that I was morphing into the hero programmer, and pulled me aside to remind me that development is a team effort. She asked a lot of questions, and after our conversation, put in a request to HR for an additional developer. She didn’t stop there; I was spending a lot of time on build related issues too, so she went out of her way to create an entirely new role for a build manager (she new it would take a long time to create this new role so requested both at the same time). And this was about ten years ago before build managers were ubiquitous. Contrast that to a team I was on where a hero programmer who put in 12-16 hour days was promoted to manager. Needless to say the environment was a total nightmare. He couldn’t figure out why people actually left work to go home. He actually told me once that even if I didn’t have work to do, I should stick around late at night to display my dedication to the rest of the team so they’d feel more compelled to stay late themselves. Forget staying late, I left the team. :)

]]> By: Rob Diana http://regulargeek.com/2010/01/19/how-can-software-development-avoid-the-need-for-a-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-3517 Rob Diana Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:26:59 +0000 http://regulargeek.com/?p=1412#comment-3517 meeting organizer, While I would not recommend that you find a new job, that is really your decision. One of the things that I always try to do is ensure that estimates are based on who is doing the work. If the people doing the work do not agree with the estimates, that can quickly become a very bad situation for the people doing the work. If your manager and other managers do not see this as a problem, then you may have a decision to make. I believe it was Martin Fowler that said something like "If you can't change your organization, change your organization". meeting organizer,

While I would not recommend that you find a new job, that is really your decision. One of the things that I always try to do is ensure that estimates are based on who is doing the work. If the people doing the work do not agree with the estimates, that can quickly become a very bad situation for the people doing the work. If your manager and other managers do not see this as a problem, then you may have a decision to make. I believe it was Martin Fowler that said something like “If you can’t change your organization, change your organization”.

]]> By: meeting organizer http://regulargeek.com/2010/01/19/how-can-software-development-avoid-the-need-for-a-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-3516 meeting organizer Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:56:29 +0000 http://regulargeek.com/?p=1412#comment-3516 I have ran into a manager that can do milestones by a certain deadline. He estimates a project with that in mind, and seems to ignore when I claim that I can't make those deadlines. He got to his manager position by being a great programmer, he was even recognized as a "hero" by the company, and I'm usually in the position of not being as experienced as him on various milestones, and find his estimates to be more based on what he can do, not on what I can do. My arguments about pushing back deadlines so I can make them usually get refused. Is there some way I can make him understand that his project estimates are unreasonable for ME? Or should I just find a new job? I have ran into a manager that can do milestones by a certain deadline. He estimates a project with that in mind, and seems to ignore when I claim that I can’t make those deadlines. He got to his manager position by being a great programmer, he was even recognized as a “hero” by the company, and I’m usually in the position of not being as experienced as him on various milestones, and find his estimates to be more based on what he can do, not on what I can do. My arguments about pushing back deadlines so I can make them usually get refused. Is there some way I can make him understand that his project estimates are unreasonable for ME? Or should I just find a new job?

]]> By: Great Software Engineers Fail | iThoughts.de http://regulargeek.com/2010/01/19/how-can-software-development-avoid-the-need-for-a-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-3494 Great Software Engineers Fail | iThoughts.de Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:33:29 +0000 http://regulargeek.com/?p=1412#comment-3494 [...] How Can Software Development Avoid The Need For A Hero? (regulargeek.com) [...] [...] How Can Software Development Avoid The Need For A Hero? (regulargeek.com) [...]

]]> By: ethan1066 http://regulargeek.com/2010/01/19/how-can-software-development-avoid-the-need-for-a-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-3457 ethan1066 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:13:45 +0000 http://regulargeek.com/?p=1412#comment-3457 your story about the software development i found is really interesting and somewhat related to mine as i also had been a part of many past development.some people become hero by thrashing the all other members of the team.. your story about the software development i found is really interesting and somewhat related to mine as i also had been a part of many past development.some people become hero by thrashing the all other members of the team..

]]> By: Rob Diana http://regulargeek.com/2010/01/19/how-can-software-development-avoid-the-need-for-a-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-3452 Rob Diana Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:21:37 +0000 http://regulargeek.com/?p=1412#comment-3452 Ryan As usual, I just was not clear enough. What I was trying to say was you have the list of things you want to do, and you have a deadline, then you try to create estimates that make everything fit together. Like you said, you need to adjust scope in order for this to really work, but sometimes people just refuse to do such a thing. If you can push the deadlines, that would work as well. Ryan

As usual, I just was not clear enough. What I was trying to say was you have the list of things you want to do, and you have a deadline, then you try to create estimates that make everything fit together. Like you said, you need to adjust scope in order for this to really work, but sometimes people just refuse to do such a thing. If you can push the deadlines, that would work as well.

]]> By: Ryan Waggoner http://regulargeek.com/2010/01/19/how-can-software-development-avoid-the-need-for-a-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-3451 Ryan Waggoner Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:12:27 +0000 http://regulargeek.com/?p=1412#comment-3451 "Avoid planning back from the deadline. Do not pick a target date and try to figure out how to make the date, it normally will not work." This is interesting to me. I see what you're saying, but what about situations where a target date is already set? I'm thinking especially in terms of clients who are doing other campaigns or events. I typically just try to manage their expectations and get them to scale back if necessary so that the deadline is realistic, but should I spend more energy getting them to push the deadline? “Avoid planning back from the deadline. Do not pick a target date and try to figure out how to make the date, it normally will not work.”

This is interesting to me. I see what you’re saying, but what about situations where a target date is already set? I’m thinking especially in terms of clients who are doing other campaigns or events. I typically just try to manage their expectations and get them to scale back if necessary so that the deadline is realistic, but should I spend more energy getting them to push the deadline?

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