I don't think this is really in good faith, what is meant by 10x programmers is ...

MrOwnPut · on Jan 20, 2023

10x programmers aren't going to be good at grinding tickets.

they'll procrastinate on them because they are boring and tedious and will go work a massive project instead because it's fun to them.

they'll finish that massive project in the time everyone is fiddling their thumbs with the stupid back and forth of the meetings and whatnot of those "tasks".

if you are lucky to get one of us, let us run free, we'll make you some really cool shit without any input.

if you stifle us and try to fit us in a box, we won't make shit. we'll eventually get bored, pissed off, and leave.

oh and don't touch our code, it's beautiful, and it's the only way it'll work, trust us! ideas welcome, code not!

we don't like teams. one person, one thought, one architect, one vision, one program.

source: am one, believe me or not idc, i prefer being mythical.

nathias · on Jan 20, 2023

Anyone would work faster and better alone, it just doesn't really scale. Building something yourself is much easier than working in a team, the bigger the teams the harder it is.

MrOwnPut · on Jan 20, 2023

i agree, except for the scaling, a 10x can make an entire project it takes 100s of engineers for, and they'll do it in magnitudes less code.

but that long topic aside... i was just pointing out the ideal environment for "10x programmers".

you put a 10x on a team and treat them the same, they become a 1x (or worse because they are bored and procrastinate), the others will drag them down to their level.

to make teams work, let the 10x design and develop the initial system solely. then the 1x work in a scoped domain (using a plugin/extension system etc) within the 10x's vision

robofanatic · on Jan 20, 2023

> we don't like teams. one person, one thought, one architect, one vision, one program.

Hope this is satire. Otherwise its a horrible idea.

MrOwnPut · on Jan 20, 2023

nope, not satire, is yours?

you negged and put your opinion down, but you forgot to put down why it's "horrible"!

so, until then... yes-huh!

robofanatic · on Jan 20, 2023

well, if it's a short term use and throw kind of project/tool then sure I can go with 1 "10X programmer", but if I were a stakeholder in a long term project I wouldn't put all my eggs in a one person team.

MrOwnPut · on Jan 20, 2023

the 10x designs the entire system. the 1x teams work in it after, in a controlled way.

eventually the 1x teams understand the system and mimic the patterns.

enough patterns created by the 10x it's hard for the 1x to fuck things up.

yes you eventually won't have the 10x one day, but if you utilized them right, they made you a nice temple.

10x or not, if you have a team design a system you're doing it wrong. teams can work in it later, one person should design it.

turtleyacht · on Jan 21, 2023

Reminds me of a software team having one surgeon and the others are support staff--in no way denigrating, but equally essential with their skillsets, to execute on the (skunkworks?) project.

This idea of a surgeon team is also from Brooks.

robofanatic · on Jan 20, 2023

fair enough. would love to see your work to really believe what you are saying.

MrOwnPut · on Jan 20, 2023

unfortunately that would dox me and i love being a contrarian here apparently.

feel free to shoot me a way to contact you if you want.

but it's not really worthwhile for me to basically gather up a resume unless you have connections.

robofanatic · on Jan 20, 2023

wait, you are a 10x programmer and don't have a public github profile?

MrOwnPut · on Jan 20, 2023

i have many profiles, including github, that would be part of the resume.

a lot of the cool stuff in my later years is commercial.

you could have just replied with your contact info if you were really interested in me.

the only reason for me to try to prove anything to you would be if you were actually someone.

BizarreByte · on Jan 20, 2023

Sounds more like you’ve got ADHD than 10Xism.

MrOwnPut · on Jan 20, 2023

i think there's probably a correlation, sure. will we find adhd & ocd are symptoms of a "puzzle gene"?

i don't need an e-diagnosis from a few sentences of mine though, thanks.

i know what i make and what others make and how easy it comes to me. the label doesn't matter.

i tamed my mind and my environment long ago, any thematical "adhd" attributes concerns me not...

BizarreByte · on Jan 20, 2023

I hope for your sake this is satire, because a few sentences is all I need to know I’d hate working with you.

MrOwnPut · on Jan 20, 2023

likewise! don't worry, we won't meet.

my sake thanks you for your hope though.

philipswood · on Jan 20, 2023

I think this touches the base of the disagreement about their existence: the unspoken definition being used.

When I hear 10x programmer I definitely don't think "that they are 10x more productive in grinding jira tickets."

I think there are programmers who can build something that would take ten or more other developers to replicate.

And that's "easy" since some people can win by choosing the right game to compete in.

onos · on Jan 20, 2023

I think it’s means “there are coders out there who are consistently 10x more impactful than the average coder,” and this could be the result of simply speed or through other methods — finding better solutions etc.

nathias · on Jan 20, 2023

the most impactful are the architects, their bad decisions echo through eternity of code spaghetti

BenFrantzDale · on Jan 20, 2023

Exactly this. I’ve seen architectural decisions that over time lead to exponential work to implement new features. An architectural fix can lead to a big-O difference in productivity, not just 10x (a constant factor).