4 Years of Software Engineering advice in 14 minutes

Summary

In this insightful video, a software engineer at Google shares the unexpected advice that led to their promotion: teamwork and collaboration are key, not just coding skills. They discuss the 'code promotion fallacy' and emphasize the importance of asking for help, writing documents, and choosing impactful work to advance in your career.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker struggled with promotion to senior engineer and learned that it's not just about coding skills, but also about teamwork and collaboration.
• 📺 The manager compared the journey to the anime 'Naruto', emphasizing the importance of working with others and gaining support from the community.
• 💡 The 'code promotion fallacy' is debunked, suggesting that merely coding more does not necessarily lead to promotion.
• 👀 The speaker advises that after a certain point, doing more code changes does not impress colleagues or managers, as it becomes expected.
• 🔍 To progress, one must take on more responsibility and gain trust from teammates, which often involves more than just coding.
• 📝 Writing documents and sharing knowledge is crucial for visibility and recognition, as it reaches a wider audience than code reviews.
• 🤔 Asking for help is a key skill in software engineering, and it's important to do so in a way that shows you've made an effort to solve the problem yourself.
• 📈 To be above average, one should do more than just the expected tasks, by optimizing daily workflows and learning tools more effectively.
• 📚 Documenting problems and solutions is more impactful than just coding, as it can be shared and discussed by many, establishing you as a subject matter expert.
• 🏆 The speaker emphasizes the importance of choosing work that has high leverage, meaning it has low effort, high impact, and high visibility.
• 🤝 Helping others and being recognized for your work are essential for career growth, and advocating for yourself is crucial in a competitive work environment.

Q & A

What was the speaker's struggle in their career as a software engineer?

The speaker was struggling to get promoted to a senior engineer position despite writing code day in and day out. They were unsure what they were doing wrong and sought advice from a manager.

What advice did the manager give the speaker using the analogy of the show 'Naruto'?

The manager advised that becoming a senior engineer is not about being on your own but about working with others. He compared it to Naruto's journey from being lonely to being supported by the entire village, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and collaboration.

What is the 'code promotion fallacy' mentioned in the script?

The 'code promotion fallacy' is the misconception that spending more time coding will necessarily lead to a promotion. The speaker explains that simply doing more code changes is not impressive after a certain point and that other skills and responsibilities are needed for advancement.

Why does the speaker believe that writing code alone won't lead to promotion?

The speaker argues that writing code limits visibility and network. Code changes are often only seen by a few reviewers, and not shared widely within the company. This limits the recognition and impact of one's work, which are crucial for promotion.

What is the most important skill the speaker suggests a software engineer should learn?

The speaker suggests that the most important skill a software engineer should learn is to ask for help. This is because software engineering is complex, and collaboration and support from others are essential for success.

How should one ask for help effectively according to the speaker?

The speaker advises first trying to solve the problem independently by using Google search, internal tools, and thinking about it for a reasonable amount of time. If still stuck, then it's time to ask for help, making sure to show the effort put in and making it easy for others to assist by clearly stating the problem and what has been tried.

What is the speaker's view on writing documents in a software engineering role?

The speaker believes that writing documents is crucial for visibility and recognition. Documents can be shared and circulated, leading to broader recognition of one's work and expertise. This is more impactful than code, which is often only seen by a few reviewers.

What does the speaker mean by 'above average' in the context of software engineering?

The speaker defines 'above average' as doing what everyone else is doing and then doing a little bit more. This means going beyond the basic expectations and making improvements to one's daily workflow to stand out.

What is the concept of 'Leverage work' as described by the speaker?

'Leverage work' refers to tasks that have low effort, high impact, and high visibility. The speaker advises focusing on solving problems that affect many people and have significant consequences, as this can lead to greater recognition and career advancement.

How does the speaker suggest advocating for oneself in the workplace?

The speaker suggests understanding one's system thoroughly, making significant contributions, and then letting everyone know about these contributions. This can be done through standup meetings, group chats, or even sending out emails to highlight one's work and its impact.

What is the book 'Give and Take' by Adam Grant about, as mentioned in the script?

The book 'Give and Take' discusses the different philosophies of helping others in the workplace. It contrasts the transactional approach, where help is given with the expectation of reciprocation, with the benevolent approach, where helping others is seen as a good deed in itself.