What is success for a software engineer
What metrics define success for a software engineer? I'm talking computer science majors. Getting degree was first checkpoint, getting a good job another, getting into a big tech company is another. Improving or iterating a product created by someone else which is inconsequential in the bigger scheme of things. Is it TC? If so what is the pinnacle of TC? Early retirement? Then what do we do with all the knowledge and skills? Or is it academics? Researching, teaching, getting published, leaving a mark in the world of academia maybe? Starting your own company? Team sport athletes have world cups, athletes-olympics. A lot of scientists dedicate their lives towards winning a Nobel prize. I'm not saying everybody is good enough to play the world cup, or that all scientists are Einstein, but there are so many who spend their lives just trying. What do we aspire for? Rant over. TC 200k Yoe 3
Contemplating 🤔
Success is a balance of 3 things: 1. Good work life balance, 2. High TC, 3. Interesting projects
But these are things that any working person would expect from his job. This will not make you a successful software engineer?
1. Money wise : selling your start up to corporations 2. Philosophical : the number of people you've helped them grow
Are you growing people? A people farm?
I think 2. should be a very small component and not at all used to judge how good you are as a software engineer.
Think about your goals as a human being. Being a software engineer or having high TC doesn’t define us.
Being a better human being is a personal goal. All of us are trying that every minute. But career success is not measured by how good of a "person" you end up being. Bill gates vs Steve jobs is a classic example. Both are successful entrepreneurs but very different kind of people, based on their respective biographies
Well, career success? I mean you have 3 options, right. Climb engineering ladder, climb management ladder, or startups. You can do all of the above at different times too. Or, as you grow older you may choose to stay at your current level to have more WLB. That’s fine too.
If you were a real engineer your success would be measured by success of products you built. Since you’re a software “engineer” it’s probably money, title and other garbage
Well, how many engineers really get to "pick" the projects they want to build? And if you're saying software engineering is all about money, title and other garbage, how much money, what title and what is this other garbage? That's my question
It depends on your own standards. If you work for government get your 200k and government pension after life long employment writing a form for obscure numbered procurement regulation and call it success
Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of the women!
Passing unit tests
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