Comic time: Professional SCRUM hogger

Comic time: Helpful user goes on vacation after raising a bug.

As a Product Manager, Would You Shut Down an Engineering Project Started By a Technical Lead?

Let’s imagine you are a product manager who recently paired with a new engineering team. You come across a project initiated by a technical lead that you would rather shutdown than watch continue. What would you do in such a scenario? Even if you feel that shutting down the project is best for the company, there is a right way to go about the process.

Are You Sure the Project Needs to Go?

Before you decide you need to put the brakes on an ongoing engineering project, make sure you are on the right track. Some tell-tale signs of a project being in trouble include:

• The team has no detailed project plan.
• There is no clear hierarchy in the team.
• No one from the company’s senior management is backing the project.
• There has been no customer involvement in product definition.
• The customer has not provided any feedback on deliverables.
• There is no use of suitable project tracking tools.
• The team is overworked.
• Team members have ideas about how to provide simpler solutions.
• There has been little to no testing.
• There is no clarity on exactly what’s expected from the final product.

Shutting Down a Project

Every once in a while, there comes a time when a product manager needs to shut down a project started by a technical lead (TL). If you are worried this might reflect poorly on your own performance, don’t be. Here are measures you may follow to make the process go as smoothly as possible.

• Include the TL in your talks with other stakeholders, which include feedback calls. This gives you an opportunity to get a first-hand perspective. For all you know, the TL might also feel that the project needs to go.
• Determine how aligned the project is to your company’s goals, because shutting it down might be easy if it is down the priority list.
• If you can get the project into a beta or minimum viable version (MVY) state with little effort, you may track its adoption (or lack of).
• Begin user-involvement at an early stage, simulate possible results, get required feedback, and make your decision accordingly.
• Speak with stakeholders who wanted the project implemented and find out their reasons. Share with them why you feel moving forward might not be a good idea.

The Alternatives

While you might want to take a firm decision of shutting down a project, think hard in case other stakeholders do not provide their complete support. If you have been tasked with recovering an engineering project, start by looking for signs of over- engineering. In some cases, you might be able to pivot projects by adding capabilities that provide value to end-users. Pay close attention to numbers when justifying a product’s level of automation, be it the number of users or the time saved.

Conclusion

When caught in a dilemma about whether or not to shutdown a project that a technical lead holds close to the heart, determine what’s best for your company. Thinking about sunken costs will do no good, because there’s a good chance you will need to rebuild anyways. Cutting your losses short - and even starting over if you have to - might be in your best interest.

How to Avoid Burnout in a Software Engineering Job?

Consider this – you embark on a new project with much gusto, and end up building something of value that finds several takers. Then, you start getting overwhelmed because of technical issues and support requests. Burn out follows. While this is not the only scenario of burnout in software engineering jobs, it goes to highlight that the problem is all too real.

Fortunately, identifying early signs of burnout in your job can be easy. Once you do, you may take the required measures to steer clear of any such situation.

Symptoms of Burnout at Work

Overworking and stress often play a role in burnouts. Once on this path, a developer soon loses interest in coding and anything else that might be work-related. While symptoms of burnout vary from one person to the next, here are signs that warrant your attention.

Lack of passion or motivation
Having a sense of self-doubt
Feeling ineffective in your current role
Poor performance
Feeling fatigued (mentally or physically)
Feeling isolated or disconnected
Suffering from anxiety, depression, or insomnia
Suffering from headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, or chest pains
Experiencing mood swings
Not being able to pay attention
Noticeable change in appetite

What Causes Burnout?

Instances of burnouts in the software industry are fairly common because this field is very challenging and highly demanding. Instead of having to work for a fixed number of hours each day or every week, software engineers are often found pushing boundaries because of seemingly unrealistic management-driven deadlines. Some of the common causes for burnouts in software engineering jobs include:

Under-resourcing by employers
Sitting in front of computers for extended durations
Monotony
Mental fatigue
Poor physical health
Cynicism and indifference
Weak culture of programming at the work place
Having to make personal sacrifices
No relief in sight

How You May Avoid Burnout

Avoiding burnout at your software engineering job so you may retain your passion for coding requires self-control. You need to start by asserting that you are in charge of what happens with your life. You should avoid saying yes to every project that comes your way because quality matters more than quantity. In addition:

Set non-negotiable boundaries and make them known to all involved stakeholders.
Learn to distinguish between what you want to do and what you don’t.
Let your boss know what you need in order to succeed – be it more time or additional resources.
Work for no more than eight hours per day.
Don’t work on weekends.
Don’t check work-related emails and messages after work hours.
Eat and sleep well.
Get enough exercise.
Consider meditating.
Avoid too much caffeine.
Assess your energy levels regularly.
Pursue hobbies that take you away from programming.
Be kind to yourself.
Limit the use of social media.
Take at least one vacation every year.

Conclusion

You need to understand that your productivity will take a nosedive if you suffer from a burnout, and all the efforts you have put into any process until now might end up going in vain. If you feel passionately about your work, or want to again, it is important to do what’s required in order to avoid a burnout.  Remember that you are in control of your life. Besides, even though you might have no control over what others think, your actions may have an influencing effect.

Is it Different Working for FAANG?

Are you hopeful of getting a job with Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, or Google (FAANG)? Do you think you might be better off working with a startup instead? If you are wondering how it might be different working for FAANG, know that the answer lies in the little details. These include the required experience, the type of work you get to do, the compensation on offer, and then some.

The Pros of Working With FAANG

Getting a job with market leaders such as Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, or Google comes with a number of advantages.

• Compensation. The top reason engineers drift toward FAANG is the compensation they stand to receive. While Facebook is known to offer signing bonuses of up to $100,000, the average annual compensation at Netflix hovers around the $400,000 mark.
• Reputation. Networking and getting job interviews can become considerably simpler when you have FAANG listed on your resume.
• Highly valued. Many FAANG engineers have a lot of control on their projects, and are tasked with major responsibilities. These companies are known to value their engineers more than ones that do not revolve completely around technology. When working at FAANG, engineers have the latest technologies at their disposal. They also get to solve technical problems at scale. 
• Stability. Larger companies typically follow well-defined structures, be it for operations or growth. Employees tend to be well aware of their responsibilities. They don’t have to worry about volatility as they would in startups, which is ideal for people who are seeking professional stability. With a startup, a single bug can lead to failure or bankruptcy, whereas retooling is always an option at FAANG.
• Perks. Perks for FAANG employees can come in the form of parental leave, paid time off, transportation coverage, wellness benefits, and stipends for higher education.

The Possible Downsides

Not all in hunky-dory in the FAANG world, or their employees would never leave. Incidentally, a recent study carried out by Blind and AngelList shows that around 60% startup employees are happy with their jobs, which is 30% more than their FAANG and Microsoft counterparts.

Other than suffering from burnouts, which are very real, here are other possible drawbacks of working at any of these companies.

• Lesser creative engagement. Positions at FAANG are typically highly specialized, which gives average employees a prescriptive and limited scope of creative engagement. This is because the skills required for such projects might focus on maintaining functionality as opposed to creating something new. Over time, you might realize you have nothing new to do, and are functioning as no more than a cog in the wheel.
• Cultural mismatch. Dealing with the corporate culture that FAANG follow might seem challenging for some people. While each of these companies has its own distinct culture, what they share in common, with the exception of Apple, is that they’re not very old businesses. Ex-FAANG employees have often complained about bureaucracy problems, poor work-life balance, internal politics, and impersonal management. So, you might find yourself stuck in office politics that hamper your growth, despite years of good performance.
• Difficulty in standing out. The more the competition, the harder it becomes to stand out. This holds true not just during the application process, but also when you become an employee. To make a mark for yourself, you need to be able to deliver great results consistently with minimal attention required for your development.
• Cost of living. Several engineers and software developers wish to join FAANG and move to areas such as Silicon Valley, San Jose, and Seattle. While relatively high compensation packages might seem like a good reason to relocate, you also need to account for the higher cost of living. For example, rents in the greater Seattle area and Silicon Valley are among the highest in the country. You might also want to consider how much time you would end up spending in commuting to and from work.

Conclusion

Getting a job with Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, or Google might look great on your resume, and you may also get a good compensation package. However, will it give you the value you seek? To answer this, identify your priorities ahead of time and determine if joining FAANG will help you in achieving your goals.

Comic time: Technical debt

How to Handle a Coworker Who is Trying to Force You Into a Political Debate?

Do you find yourself at the receiving end of a coworker who is persistently trying to coax you into a political debate? Do you feel annoyed that you have to prove yourself in a capacity that has nothing to you with your professional role? If so, know that effective measures might be closer at hand than you think.

A Case Study

Julia works as a senior IC at a FAANG. One of her juniors tried to goad her into arguments based on a one-off political comment she made. Soon, it got to a point where she had to tell him that while their political views might not be the same, she was not comfortable discussing them, at work or elsewhere.

That did not have the desired effect, so she had to tell him she was banning all political conversations between them.  While this finally put an end to her woes, she said she was prepared to go to HR as a last resort.

What this goes to show is that simply asserting yourself might do the trick.

Set Boundaries

With political statements and opinions around the country flying thick and fast, it is very important to protect your boundaries. Where things stand, political debates are no more than two sides standing on their high horses – screaming about how and why they are right. If a coworker is pushing you into a political debate, simply say you would rather focus on work. 

Remember that you don’t have to talk about anything that is not related to your work while you are at work. Instead, you should feel empowered enough to decide whether or not you wish to participate in such conversations.

Know When to Take a Step Back

You need to be aware of the other person’s energy and body language so you can determine if a situation is getting heated or confrontational. If so, your best bet is to walk away. This is because staying calm and composed in a professional setting is way more important than trying to get someone else to see your point.

Backing away is easy. All you need to do is say you have something else to do. This could be getting back to work, making a phone call, or running an errand. Alternatively, you can try changing the topic. If that does not work, you might need to follow a more direct approach. In this case, you could say you simply don’t want to talk about it anymore.

If you reach a point where you feel a flutter in your stomach, a racing heart, or sweaty palms, know that your body has entered the fight or flight mode. At this stage, calming down requires that you make a conscious effort. The best you can do is end the conversation in an amicable manner.

Be Respectful

Respecting others’ political views at the workplace is just as important at respecting other aspects of their lives. Just because a coworker does not share the same political views as you, it does not have to lead to hostility, harassment, or retaliation. So, even if you feel you are being pushed in a corner and are being forced to retaliate, simply take the higher road and walk away.

When All Else Fails

Companies do not want their employees’ political inclinations and affiliations to affect their work in any adverse way. They want you to do your job well and be on your way. If all the efforts you put in getting your coworker to back off go in vain, consider taking the matter up with your HR department.

Unfortunately, data released by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) suggests that more than a third of working American feel that their workplaces are not inclusive of different political perspectives. If you find that your HR is not taking effective measures to alleviate your problem, you might have to think about whether you wish to continue in your existing role or look for a new job.

If you feel your coworker’s persistence constitutes as harassment, you might even want to get a legal opinion. 

Conclusion

Falling into a trap and ending up arguing about your political views with a coworker will do you no good. After all, neither of you are going to change your political views through the course of a heated argument. Remember that entering a political debate of refraining from one is entirely up to you, and when at work, steering clear of any such situation is always in your best interest.