Episode 457: How do I get off the on-call rotation and "big tech" == "big leagues"?

Episode Overview

• The hosts discuss the cyclical nature of software engineering, contrasting complex abstractions like "agentic workflows" with simpler, older technologies like stored procedures.
• A senior engineer at a FAANG company shares their grueling first-time on-call experience, which involves 12 hours of manual monitoring per day for seven consecutive days.
• The hosts analyze the severe personal and professional impact of this on-call schedule, including sleep deprivation, health issues, and strain on family life, and brainstorm potential solutions.
• A second question is addressed regarding the perception of developer skill, questioning whether engineers at "big tech" companies are inherently better than those at large non-technology companies.

Key Concepts

The main themes of this episode include on-call burnout, the challenges of working across different time zones, and the career development implications of working at different types of companies. The hosts explore strategies for communicating unsustainable working conditions to management, such as proposing alternative rotation schedules or suggesting technical improvements to the monitoring system. They also delve into the comparison of talent between big tech firms and other industries, discussing how to achieve career growth regardless of the company environment.

Quotes

• At 00:06 - "It takes more than replacing agentic workflows with a stored procedure to be a great engineer." - The episode's opening line, humorously framing the importance of soft skills over just technical prowess.
• At 04:28 - "For me personally, on-call was the nearest I have ever been to hell." - A listener powerfully describes the extreme stress and negative impact of their first on-call rotation.
• At 05:22 - "I am now living through the most explosive diarrhea I have ever had." - The listener provides a graphic and memorable detail about the physical health consequences of their stressful on-call experience.

Takeaways

• An unsustainable on-call schedule is a systemic issue that negatively impacts health, family, and productivity; it should be addressed with management rather than just endured.
• When facing a difficult work situation, observe how more senior colleagues navigate the system, as their actions (like a staff engineer not being on the rotation) can reveal potential solutions or exceptions.
• Frame your concerns with management as a business problem. For example, highlight how sleep deprivation and burnout from a grueling on-call shift can lead to costly mistakes.
• Career growth is not exclusive to big tech companies. While they offer certain opportunities, significant learning and advancement can also be found in smaller startups where you have broader responsibilities.