The dynamics of modern IT
Posted by Mike
I was linked this article by a longtime friend who works at Microsoft. I read through a few times and found myself agreeing with much of it. I think it's decent set of guidelines on how to lead technical people, but I think it completely missed the contrast between working for a company that has engineering or IT at its core vs one that has sales or marketing at its core. Maybe it was supposed to? I will say it's highly unlikely to find non-technical (ie, sales/marketing) oriented companies to following the advice in the article. There's a very subtle line that shifts a company one way or another; most non-technical companies probably think they're technical at their core. My previous employer TeleVox (and by extension, West) comes to mind immediately. Hold their policies up to a company like say, Amazon or Google and you realize just how far from a technical core they are. I don't think either method is intrinsically wrong or right, but IT people need to realize what sort of company they work for and how it will affect their career path.
Startups are a shining example of this, and I've worked at my fair share of startups over the years. Ordinarily startups will start and remain technically focused until they hit it big. At this point it can go either way; Myspace and Facebook are examples of ones who (in my opinion) have a stronger marketing slant, while my favorite webhosts Dreamhost and Google are classic cases of successful startups that stayed tech focused. I wish I had been around for the founding of my previous employer TeleVox. From the stories I heard it sounded like a tech startup, but by the time I came along there was most definitely a strong sales and marketing slant. This trend only continued throughout my tenure there throughout our acquisition by West.
So what does this mean to your average IT guy or gal? Maybe not a whole lot, but here's some tidbits that I've amassed through direct experience and from second hand information from colleagues.
How to tell if your company is sales/marketing focused
- You will be praised often and loudly within your department. Just not company-wide.
- By contrast, sales people will be. They will probably also make more than you. Frequently there are reward programs for exceeding job expectations (President's Club trips, bonuses, etc). You do not get any of these for staying late to fix that database issue.
- It is very unlikely that your position or your compensation will grow and scale with your skillset. Your skillset is not directly improving the company's bottom line and that's the only thing that gets rewarded.
- Non-IT type positions don't grow (learning a new version of Word does not count!) except by years and years of experience in that role, so typically these types of companies are unable to understand how to maintain healthy, growing IT positions which grow at a much faster pace.. Constant change and growth is a requirement!
- When these companies find a technology level that works for them, it will take an act of God or Congress or both to get them to change or improve upon it.
- The IT / engineering / developer staff will only be called upon for input when a direction for the company/product/platform has been decided on. It's not uncommon for your only say is to how long it will take you to implement whatever has been dreamed up.
- Since it's so hard to directly measure your job and performance, expect to be micromanaged. If you're not micromanaged consider yourself lucky, but you'll probably instead have to attend at least two meetings a day. There is no lesser of two evils here.
- I don't care what anyone says: most Agile development processes are a form of micromanaging. With shiny stickers. Wake up developers, you are not in second grade anymore.
Due to these factors, it is vital that you change jobs/employers every 2-3 years to ensure your compensation and knowledge stay current. Technical focused companies are much easier to remain with for 5-10 years. If you're not careful the market will outpace you and it's not uncommon after 3 years for new hires to be making the same if not more than you.
I really should be asleep.
Posted by Mike
If everything goes as planned, in exactly one week from today I'll be officially moved out of my apartment. My flight will leave the next morning at 11am with Wifecat and I en route to San Diego. My new apartment is rented, new utilities scheduled for hookup, old utilities scheduled for shut off, and my ticket is booked. Tomorrow I book my rental car and finalize with the movers who will be done by this time next week. My last day at TeleVox will be this Friday.
So why am I not asleep tonight? I'm almost done packing so it's not like I need to be up for that. Everything has gone smoothly despite the rushed timetable; in the past moving has been chaotic and dramatized. I honestly think this is the first time I've never had to ask for help from friends or family during a move and it makes me feel all grown-ed up inside. Yes, grown-ed up is a word. I just used it didn't I? I'm awake because I just got back from the gym and because I wanted to start recording my state of mind before the big move gets fully underway. I guess I need to remember in the future that cardio makes me introspective. Too much time with too much repetitive motion no doubt.
I've had the idea of this post in the back of my mind most of the day, struggling to put words to what I'm feeling. Strangely enough, blank is the only adjective that comes to mind. I'm excited about the idea of moving to San Diego, but I'm not overly anxious about the moving process itself or my new job. It feels like the right thing to do and somehow that's enough. I think it helps that my friends, family, and co-workers have all been supportive. I hope it didn't take me leaving to realize what a great group of people I know here in Mobile. I'm actually a little sad to be leaving TeleVox. The teams I've worked with and worked for have helped grow and shape me in the ways that made it possible for me to do this transition, so I owe them all. Thank you.
Hopefully this is the only serious post of the blog. These are a total drag.
Gollum stole my birfday balloon
Posted by Mike
Editor's note: It's Gollum, climbing on a lamp with a balloon. What do you want of me?
It’s all over but the shoutin’
Posted by Mike
Editor's note: Another historical post. This relatively short post is deceptive. It's hard to imagine what life changing events would grow out of it.
It's no secret anymore that the company I work for has been sold, and the news has really changed the atmosphere around my department and the company as a whole. It's to be expected I suppose but that doesn't make it any more agreeable. I'm only thankful that I've been through this a time or three so I know what to generally expect. I think it's going to be an exciting opportunity for our technology to grow and I hope I'm able to remain a part of it.
Oh what a tangled web we weave
Posted by Mike
Editor's note:I was rereading this post before reposting it and at first I couldn't remember what it was about. I remembered around the time I hit the second paragraph. I think it's a little melodramatic but it's still a decent piece of writing.
In the chaos of moving, holidays, and my own enlightened self interest I have stumbled; stumbled in such a manner that the myriad threads and strings that entwine to build my life were nearly tangled beyond repair. Again. It's cyclic, this endless peat(pete?) and repeat that makes up every person's life. We see in the macrocosm of history: those that ignore history are doomed to repeat it. We see it expressed again and again in religions across the globe. Reincarnation. Resurrection. Circle of Life. Recycling. How is it that I (and most people I think) fail to take note and heed the old adage of learning from our mistakes? Because I'm human I guess. It just seems that with my penchant for observing patterns and troubleshooting I'd catch on sooner. The only thing that has changed is that I can sense the upcoming knot and quietly prepare for it.
So amidst the unraveling and re-weaving of my life I realized that my biggest mistake so far was how I approached having a job. My job has always been about my passions, whether it was books or computers or animals or anything. I gave it my all and invariably got less that what I expected in return. I felt cheated. Didn't life know what I had given up for this? Why wasn't it better? I KNEW I could make it better if I just tried harder... Right? Wrong. It boils down to a simple expression. Job != life. While it's great to do something you love, and everyone really really really really should, don't let it consume you to the point where the life you have IS your job. Almost without fail, I think that has been my biggest mistake.
I came by it honestly enough I think. My dad worked a lot when I grew up, and so did my mom once we got old enough. The difference that I understand and realize now is that they worked hard for a purpose, to raise and provide for us. It replaced their lives but it was a burden they understood and undertook consciously. I emulated that I think under the guise of a "work ethic" and for no reason. I have no children, no spouse, no house to pay for. I do not need to kill myself working day in and day out. It is not asked of me, it is not expected of me, and I am not compensated to do so. In my opinion, any job that requires you to give up your life to do it had better be damned important. Armed Services or Secret Service level important. Not fix networks important.
All this has led to an epiphany of sorts. It's motivated me to make plans. Far-reaching, and almost long term. Almost. I have a lot of resolutions for this year and I haven't told a single soul what they are. I probably won't. I reevaluated. I thought. I carefully untangled threads. I began to comprehend that ambition and achievement, the scales by which I measured the meaning of my life, were useless. Using my success (or lackthereof) in a profession is a poor way to confer value on myself. I think it's time I did more to give myself value instead of looking to others for it.
Remember kids: live your life and work your job. Not the other way around.
About Me
Lackadaisical writer, amateur photographer, professional grump, and all around spiffy IT guy.
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