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I've been the tech lead on a pretty big, drawn-out project at work. It was estimated by some other team as a few months. We came in, and discovered a whole mess of techdebt related to our use-case specifically. It's been half a year with no signs of stopping.
Morale is low. Really low. The managers are doing their best, the product managers have cut scope dramatically, but it's still an elephant-in-the-room.
I find myself working really late nights, weekends, and so on just to try and get everything done. No one's asking me to do this, but it doesn't feel like it'll be possible to get everything done without it.
The other week there was a pretty long argument over basically nothing, and other teams openly describe the project as a long depressing slog.
Anyone else been in a similar scenario? What can I do to turn things around?
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I'd spend hours browsing 4chan and laughing at some good memes. Let the team know you literally couldn't give a toss about the project but are a great guy but then occasionally going into spells of unbelievable rage, smashing things and screaming at staff.
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Why do you care so much... you're not the owner. You don't get paid the profits.
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>>56103552
Quit.
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>>56103746
So don't work extra, it's not your problem if the project is fucked. Just do your lob.
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>>56103552
Stop staying late and working all these extra hours. That isn't what gets you recognition or advancement. Focus on more value-add activities.
If you are familiar with Lean Six Sigma, use the principles from that. If you're not, take a quick course and have your company reimburse you. At the very least get the yellow belt but green belt would also be appropriate.
If you go in every day, bust your ass, and everyone leaves demotivated and having done nothing you need to change what you're doing. Don't complete the project just to complete it. Do it because it makes sense and is going to add value. It honestly sound like you should go back and reevaluate the entire project and come up with a new problem statement. Don't skip the basics, those are what determine how the project goes.
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>>56103552
>technical debt
Post disregarded. You're getting caught up in the latest round of webshit buzzwords. I suggest you stop reading HN.
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Serious question coming from someone in a completely different industry.
If you stay late, stress yourself to hell, and put in all of this extra work to deliver slightly earlier than you otherwise would, what would it mean for you? Would you be recognized and awarded for your efforts? Or will you be now setting the bar higher to overcome impossible tasks, requiring you to do this in the future for all projects?
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>>56103552
Fuck you and slavecucks like yourself who ruin it for everyone else by overworking for nothing.
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>>56103809
You have the correct and healthy train of thought going there anon. I was like OP until I learned what you are saying indirectly the hard way.
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>>56103809
I guess the main thing is, I don't want to burden others on the team with this stuff. I don't want them to have to work crazy hours or dive into ultra-complex systems to fix two-year-old latent bugs.
However, I also want it done right - mostly to keep others from having to fix this mess two years down the line. If there are delays they might cut tests/features.
Awards, recognition, etc. isn't as important as sleeping at night knowing it hasn't been just left broken/incomplete for someone else to fix.
Everyone involved knows and understands that there's only so much the small team can do in the timeframe given. There are death march stories of poor management and infeasible timetables, I don't ever see that happening here anytime soon unless there's a big change in the business or the hierarchy.
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>>56104329
You're being a burden on everyone else by making hardworking people look bad because you're a corporatecuck and have no life, hobbies, or gf. Just saiyan.
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>>56104329
The team isn't your friends, they're your peers or subordinates. You're not burdening them, you're requiring them to do their jobs. Someone somewhere took the easy way out and now you and your entire team is paying for it. Use it as a motivation to get your team moving and doing things the right way the first time.
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>>56103552
First thing to do is cut out those long hours. If you're salary, your mission is to work less than 40 hours a week.
The next step is to start outsourcing. Pajeet Inc. will gladly take on bullshit work, just have the set up a pull request. You could also hire contractors to carry some of the weight, I've seen mixed results. CS grads are looking for experience so get the new blood in there and grind them a little. The whole goal is to take pressure off your A Team.
Get the shit working before you refactor every antimatter. Keep Pajeet in line with some unit tests.
Cut down on meetings and increase the amount of booze around the office. Hire an attractive young woman to keep the boys at the office.
Automate and script as much as you can. Don't let IT make you their bitch.
Start using LinkedIn like Tinder. Prep your resume. Start going to meetups and networking. Jump ship as soon as you see something better.
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