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This sounds about right. At least I feel it acutely in my career. And the more experienced I got instead of more autonomy it has decreased. So to me it seems au

by geodel 24d ago

This sounds about right. At least I feel it acutely in my career. And the more experienced I got instead of more autonomy it has decreased. So to me it seems autonomy is decreasing at a rather fast clip. Even outside projects and general work condition it is worse. 10 years back I could just decide when to work from home, or do a few interesting projects show to managers get approval afterwards. Today I have to explain myself to managers and get proper approvals for same thing. And I have been in same place for quite some time so it is not even the case that I have to prove to my new employers first. Being not much ambitious I use to think after these many years and multiple successful project my win is to be a kind of made guy in that same mid-level position. Supporting , fixing project which I delivered over years and just take it easy, start day late, leave early until retirement. Turns out things I assumed, don't exist. And even if they do they are above my level. Not worked in big tech, no massive RSU based compensation and with AI flattening difference (in employer's view ) between 2 vs 20 years of experience, story is not going to end great for people like me.

cube00 24d ago
>Supporting , fixing project which I delivered over years and just take it easy, start day late, leave early until retirement. My experience has been you'll be regularly moved around to mitigate the "bus factor" If you're seen as highy capable you'll be moved on to firefighting duty.
- maccard 24d ago
  Yep, and if this happens you need to get promoted quickly out of that or you’ll get stuck at it. It’s great fun, and you’ll learn about every project your company has going on by doing it.
  - cube00 24d ago
    >It’s great fun If you don't set hard boundaries it's also the fast track to great burn out.
    - artisinal 24d ago
      As a European that’s a great way to get paid for a two year holiday.
      - maccard 23d ago
        There's nothing fun about burnout, and it's not a holiday.
- laserlight 24d ago
  One should distinguish between high-stakes vs low-stakes firefighting duties. The former could fast-track one's career, but the latter is a guarantee for stagnation.
majormajor 24d ago
>And I have been in same place for quite some time so it is not even the case that I have to prove to my new employers first. Any individual company is likely to atrophy because continual success breeds fear of change, fear of breaking what's already working. Especially if management rotates and new management didn't actually create the success in the first place.
- geodel 24d ago
  > Especially if management rotates and new management didn't actually create the success in the first place. Critical point, and absolutely true in my case. With change in management all past successful projects are "failures" now. Instead of using x, y, z projects uses a, b, c so leadership is kind to dismiss me with prejudice.
  - noisy_boy 24d ago
    How will you get bonus if you don't do anything different? How will you do anything different if you don't ignore/brush-aside past successes and focus on replacing them with new things? How will you replace them without funding i.e. more budget, more power? How will you keep moving up if you don't repeat this cycle?
    - butlike 23d ago
      I don't know if you're being facetious our not. I agree that that's the current landscape, but it doesn't make any sense! Imagine a great big ship sailing the oceans in ancient times. The crew made the ship sail straight. Now imagine (for argument's sake) the crew could be replaced at will. Preventing any deviation in the course is it's own success. The ship is working as intended and producing value. So to use your questions: How will you get bonus if you don't do anything different? You won't crash the money-maker. How will you do anything different if you don't ignore/brush-aside past successes and focus on replacing them with new things? You won't. That discipline is it's own value. How will you replace them without funding i.e. more budget, more power? Your maintenance budget pales in comparison to the R&D budget, so funding should be a non-issue. You're not asking to recreate the boat, only replace discrete known quantities. How will you keep moving up if you don't repeat this cycle? Because the momentum was set at ship launch, not at ship improvement. I honestly don't understand how this all breaks down in modern times once you introduce shareholders. Is it that shareholders literally get spooked by stagnation?
ipaddr 24d ago
The higher the position the less leeway you have because you are working on bigger problems with more experienced people who want to do things their way. It makes sense the higher up you go the more demanding the boss because their boss is more demanding.

by geodel 24d ago

cube00 24d ago

>Supporting , fixing project which I delivered over years and just take it easy, start day late, leave early until retirement. My experience has been you'll be regularly moved around to mitigate the "bus factor" If you're seen as highy capable you'll be moved on to firefighting duty.

maccard 24d ago
Yep, and if this happens you need to get promoted quickly out of that or you’ll get stuck at it. It’s great fun, and you’ll learn about every project your company has going on by doing it.
- cube00 24d ago
  >It’s great fun If you don't set hard boundaries it's also the fast track to great burn out.
  - artisinal 24d ago
    As a European that’s a great way to get paid for a two year holiday.
    - maccard 23d ago
      There's nothing fun about burnout, and it's not a holiday.
laserlight 24d ago
One should distinguish between high-stakes vs low-stakes firefighting duties. The former could fast-track one's career, but the latter is a guarantee for stagnation.

majormajor 24d ago

>And I have been in same place for quite some time so it is not even the case that I have to prove to my new employers first. Any individual company is likely to atrophy because continual success breeds fear of change, fear of breaking what's already working. Especially if management rotates and new management didn't actually create the success in the first place.

geodel 24d ago
> Especially if management rotates and new management didn't actually create the success in the first place. Critical point, and absolutely true in my case. With change in management all past successful projects are "failures" now. Instead of using x, y, z projects uses a, b, c so leadership is kind to dismiss me with prejudice.
- noisy_boy 24d ago
  How will you get bonus if you don't do anything different? How will you do anything different if you don't ignore/brush-aside past successes and focus on replacing them with new things? How will you replace them without funding i.e. more budget, more power? How will you keep moving up if you don't repeat this cycle?
  - butlike 23d ago
    I don't know if you're being facetious our not. I agree that that's the current landscape, but it doesn't make any sense! Imagine a great big ship sailing the oceans in ancient times. The crew made the ship sail straight. Now imagine (for argument's sake) the crew could be replaced at will. Preventing any deviation in the course is it's own success. The ship is working as intended and producing value. So to use your questions: How will you get bonus if you don't do anything different? You won't crash the money-maker. How will you do anything different if you don't ignore/brush-aside past successes and focus on replacing them with new things? You won't. That discipline is it's own value. How will you replace them without funding i.e. more budget, more power? Your maintenance budget pales in comparison to the R&D budget, so funding should be a non-issue. You're not asking to recreate the boat, only replace discrete known quantities. How will you keep moving up if you don't repeat this cycle? Because the momentum was set at ship launch, not at ship improvement. I honestly don't understand how this all breaks down in modern times once you introduce shareholders. Is it that shareholders literally get spooked by stagnation?

ipaddr 24d ago

The higher the position the less leeway you have because you are working on bigger problems with more experienced people who want to do things their way. It makes sense the higher up you go the more demanding the boss because their boss is more demanding.