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Comment by soneca | Hacker News Reader

I don’t think OP is solving any problems

Being a butt in a seat while your manager justifies his position with "someone has to manage the butts in seats" and his manager justifies his position with "someone has to manage the managers of butts in seats" solves a small part of a big problem.

Well, he got great reviews, so his managers must have thought he made enough contributions.

Well, when you bullshit your teammates all year and tell them every day "Ah, I'm still working on this problem, it's a real tough one" (when really you're at home watching YouTube all day)...

and every three weeks you say "OK, I'm done with this tough problem -- next!" (when really you could have gotten it done in two days)...

and the schedule drags out but no blames you because, after all, you tell everyone at standup how busy you've been...

and in your review self-assessment, you use big descriptions for every small thing you bothered to do, knowing your manager isn't enough in the details to realize it...

then, yeah, at the end of the year, you've successfully suckered your manager into giving you a great review.

Sounds like 1) something about the business is either too inefficient to account for such a low-output performer OR it's efficient enough to get by even with low output, and 2) their manager and team are not doing their jobs in keeping them honest.

Either way, this true impostor situation you're describing doesn't seem to represent the OP. It sounds like a lot of work, which they ain't doing. It doesn't sound like they're some sort of master of disguise engaged in an elaborate con.

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