Random Thought #2
Apparently none of my managers or co-workers have anything to do today. So, it was decided last week that a conference call is needed tonight from 9pm to 10pm (and likely to go over, from my experience) to discuss a new product we're about to take on. I hope their SOs or spouses are happy with this kind of dedication to work. Not that I have too much personal time, but I still like to think that I try to keep my personal time away from work, well... personal.
After working in this group over the past few years, I'm beginning to notice that, while the management has been stingy with the headcount, our responsibilities have been growing steadily. I guess we learn to work smarter and faster to cope with everything, but still, having to handle so many different products and releases simultaneously just kills my productivity. I used to deal with 1 or 2 releases at any given time. For the past few months, it's been about 3 releases, as we're pushing to get some free database product out the door soon.
A free database product is a great idea and all... good for gaining mindshare. But these trigger-happy release managers need to realize that this free database does not earn the company any money, and need to get off my case for putting higher priority on other releases that do generate revenue and affect the company's bottom line. Putting out a free version of the database is only to delay the inevitable, as the database market is mature and the database is a cheap commodity these days. There's mySQL, and Microsoft's SQL Server Express, to name a few. The database will end up like Linux. Free and open source. You want money? Gotta offer premium service and support for the customers.
Oh yes, I was saying that they need to get off my case because there's only 1 of me. I'm half of the entire installation QA team that my employer has to offer this side of the Pacific. They want more productivity? Hire more. Not just in India; because the quality of talents there is dropping, the wages rising, and the companies are practically kissing asses to try to keep their talents from bolting for better, higher-paying positions offered by the next outsourcing company. It wouldn't hurt to decrease the headcount there a little and hire another person or two here. I swear we'd get so much more done if we actually kept the ratio of engineers about equal between the US and off-shore, than having just one of me deal with several foreign engineers.
After working in this group over the past few years, I'm beginning to notice that, while the management has been stingy with the headcount, our responsibilities have been growing steadily. I guess we learn to work smarter and faster to cope with everything, but still, having to handle so many different products and releases simultaneously just kills my productivity. I used to deal with 1 or 2 releases at any given time. For the past few months, it's been about 3 releases, as we're pushing to get some free database product out the door soon.
A free database product is a great idea and all... good for gaining mindshare. But these trigger-happy release managers need to realize that this free database does not earn the company any money, and need to get off my case for putting higher priority on other releases that do generate revenue and affect the company's bottom line. Putting out a free version of the database is only to delay the inevitable, as the database market is mature and the database is a cheap commodity these days. There's mySQL, and Microsoft's SQL Server Express, to name a few. The database will end up like Linux. Free and open source. You want money? Gotta offer premium service and support for the customers.
Oh yes, I was saying that they need to get off my case because there's only 1 of me. I'm half of the entire installation QA team that my employer has to offer this side of the Pacific. They want more productivity? Hire more. Not just in India; because the quality of talents there is dropping, the wages rising, and the companies are practically kissing asses to try to keep their talents from bolting for better, higher-paying positions offered by the next outsourcing company. It wouldn't hurt to decrease the headcount there a little and hire another person or two here. I swear we'd get so much more done if we actually kept the ratio of engineers about equal between the US and off-shore, than having just one of me deal with several foreign engineers.
posted by robchang at
8:52:00 PM
1 Comments:
Ouch...sounds like someone's bitter! But considering the amount of work you're taking on, I'd be bitter too! *pat, pat* Btw, you work from home sometimes too, so you obviously can't separate work from personal life. MUHAHHAHA
By
Anonymous, at 2/14/2006 9:25 PM
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