Fast, Slow, or Senior

全編英語でお送りします

Been in the software industry for several years, but only working for one rather big tech company, I've recently started to feel that the turnaround for software is long. Much much longer than a lot of other industries.

Maybe I was just fortunate, but for the first few years it felt like I was launching something every year. Regardless of whether it was adding a feature to a product or working on a completely new project.

Then things started to slow down. At least from my perspective it slowed down. It takes years of development as well as jumping through non-tech hoops to get anything launched.

Talking with a few (very limited set of) people, this seems to be a thing with big tech companies. There is "nothing" (very much in quotes) pushing them for a fast turnaround. Suppose a product is already working and you are only adding a feature, there isn't a really big PUSH for it, especially if it isn't an effort driven by a buzz word such as "machine learning".

Now, this is hitting me quite hard on my motivation. Not just the motivation to keep working on a project or staying employed with my current employer, but as a software engineer. I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything. Anything that I have solved don't get to leave the house as rapidly as I like. But software engineer is such a high paying job and it feels like its hard to get back in once you leave. It is a "golden handcuff", I might not really like it but I have the fear that once I take it off, I might not get the privilege to put it back on.

On the other hand I classify myself as a "puzzle solver", so a launch is not necessary a goal. I like solving puzzles, but once I figure out how to solve the puzzle I lose interest. I tend to consider things as "solved" once I have a patch. The patch would have to go through a code review process in order to get it upstreamed, but I have already lost intersest once I have solved it, so I leave patches up for months. I understand that this is not respectful to people that have put their time to leave review comments on my patches, but I jump on to other puzzles once its solved.

Anyway, I'm starting to lose interest although I still very much love programming. Maybe this is just a consequence of going up the ladder and seniroirty, being assigned tasks that take more time and effort. It might be something that some people find themselves proud about. Nonetheless it isn't quite working out for me. Perhaps it's time for me to move on and go on a new journey :)