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Comment by noir_lord | Hacker News Reader

Our most recent stocktake I took the day off from programming, grabbed a handheld and went around doing the same job as anyone else doing stocktake, I have about half a dozen small-medium sized changes I can make that will vastly reduce time for next stock take.

I've also spent time in our sandblast units and our loading docks and sales team.

How can I architect and build good software if I don't have a good understanding of the domain and you can only get that by immersing yourself in it head first.

I'm lucky in that my boss cottoned onto the fact we get better software when I see the problem in the raw and not just his interpretation of the problem.

Wouldn't work for everyone, we are a small production/import company so it's possible for me to get the basics of each users role (and I can physically go ask them if need be) but it's a huge win imo if it's possible.

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The proudest bug I've ever fixed came from working with the team using our software. They had a task that should take 5 minutes that the have to do several times a day but it was taking 30 minutes, 25 of those minutes was spent finding the right item in a massive list in a combo box (think medical codes). The only fix required was to an an order by clause so they could find what they were looking for, but they couldn't get approval for it. I took up the cause for them but couldn't get approval either, I couldn't get this two second task to be deemed a business priority and had to sneak the change in, risking my own ass.

The woman who had been wasting this time for years came up and hugged me in tears. No one was getting fired but I'd just freed up enough time that she didn't have to work overtime everyday. It was such a simple change and lifted such a weight off the users shoulders that went undone for years because nobody actually watched them using our software.

Unfortunately someones authority was undermined and I was let go a few weeks later.

Unfortunately someones authority was undermined and I was let go a few weeks later.

That is so depressing.

Trying to get access to the people who actually do the jobs that can be automated is almost always a struggle. It seems weird and counter-intuitive to me so I have never figured out what to say to get this critical resource. Typically you have to gather user data through a telephone game-like chain of middle managers. And that doesn't really work,

In my case it's because my boss is smart and because I have a tendency of operating on a 'better to seek forgiveness than ask permission' model.

I have a huge amount of latitude in how I spend my time so if boss sees me in the loading dock scanning deliveries he assumes that I'm doing it for a good reason.

One of many reasons you'd need a crowbar and a tub of grease to get me to leave, I've had offers with 20% better compensation or more including some developer management roles but never even considered them, I'm well paid for a developer relative to the local market, I work a 37.5hr week, week in/week out and my work is both appreciated and has a measurable impact, it's close to programmer heaven (except for the mess I inherited but that's slowly getting sorted).

There is more to life than money including actually having time for a life.

I've found when trying this there's obvious resistance to inviting me in and showing me the ropes; they know I'll try to make it easier for them (still a manual job, in some aspects) but some are afraid I may eliminate their need.

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