A while ago I wrote a blog post about dealing with my own mediocrity and while
processing things out with what I really want to do I came across a thought about switching jobs.
I was thinking about maybe transitioning into a Product Manager role since I have (surprisingly?) good communication
skills for a developer - and I thought that I could bring a lot of value because I had good engineering background.
But then I stopped myself and looked myself in the mirror.
Wtf bro
Anyway
I was working on a big project and I had a feeling that I was the only one on the development team pushing hard for the
project to be a success. Dev team counted 6 members - 2 dealing with aggregating system - 2 with ecomm backend and 2
with ecomm Frontend. I was in charge of leading the aggregating system - but we were a subsystem working primarily for
ecomm. The problem was that I had 0 knowledge of the ecomm platform - so even tho I was very good at understanding the
system we were trying to build, I had no context on what the ecomm system actually needed to function.
And the ecomm 4-person team didn't bother to give any details - even when asking them to prepare specs for what they
need... I had 0 clue what they actually need... This was a preceding issue I personally had issue with - my co-mate
wasn't bothered by my problems since he 'only did what I told him in the Jira ticket' and if the Jira ticket wasn't
specific enough he didn't hesitate to ask me to explain it to him... I wished he would take some initiative and when I
shared my plans to make him take on more responsibilities we took tiny baby steps so that the load wouldn't increase too
much... But what I really wanted was a partner that would debate and challenge me when I made a decision... I had
no-one... It was okay... I can get knowledge from books and online example from other people. I had a good nose for
sniffing out what a good implementation looked like and when I saw something that I liked I didn't hesitate to implement
it in my code the next time I had chance.
The real problem started when I started noticing entire comm team not giving a single f**k early on. I raised the alarm
internally to the Project Manager first.
Then to manager.
Then to developers directly.
Nothing changed... 6 months of no changes... The entire project derailing slowly in front of my eyes... The most painful
experience... and I was powerless... I did everything I knew to do to improve things in my system and try to do things
for the ecomm team so that it would somehow elevate their end of things... but nothing helped... The feeling of being
hopeless and surrounded with people who do not care about their work... is something that changed the way I view
people...
This was the main reason for me to actually make a step and change the job.
Problem for me was that I didn't really hate my job.
I was fantastic at what I was doing. I got along with my group of work buddies. I got along with my manager. There
wasn't a problem that I couldn't tackle... until I started working with other people who didn't give a f**k, and I was
in a position where I couldn't change it or improve it.
That was the tipping point for me to decide to leave my comfort zone job for something that would stimulate additional
knowledge growth in me.
I was working for an agency mostly writing PHP, Typescript and some Scala - and in Slovenia agencies have a bad
reputation for not really being a good developer environment. And I agree with them to a point.
So I had some insecurities regarding my professional capabilities even if I excelled at what I was doing.
That is why I wanted to get a job that I thought would be a good next step in my career path.
It was really important to me that I find a new job and that it would be a place where I would learn new things. Another
language, another stack, another space (other than ecomm).
Most important thing to me was that I would be placed into a team where people WOULD CARE. I was okay if they didnt
invest so much of their free time coding like me. But I did care that their 8 hours of work - they tried their best to
do the job.
So interviewing was really important to me.
I interviewed with approximately 8 companies where only 1 seemed interesting to me.
I was judging interview questions or take home tasks.
I was walking into the interview with an attitude that I do not need this job - they need me (because I really didn't
need the job it was actually more believable I guess :P)
And I called out bullshit when I heard it.
My approach to interviewing was dramatically different from what I was doing before. I actually liked it - because I
came at the interview to systematically verify if they're "worth my time".
Now don't get me wrong.
If I didn't have a job - I would not do that... I am prepared to work the worst job if it means that I get some of that
€€ ($$ for my Americano friends).
And I called out a lot of bullshit - I was able to figure out I am way above their top engineer from 10 minute talks. My
hobby projects have better developer daily work flow with better practices, and I am not even trying that hard... I was
able to spot marketing driven tech jobs from a mile away. I really didn't like those... An extreme example was an
e-commerce company that neglected their core product - their online store. While they focused on expanding their
marketing team, they left just a single developer responsible for maintaining their entire e-commerce platform, which
was the backbone of their business.
Anyway
In the end I chose a R&D company where they test out different authentication methods in combination with advance
cryptography.
I am really out of my place here now.
But things are not completely like I wanted... I am starting to wonder if I should pursue something like my own company
and focus on building everything that I think is needed for a good team environment.