3.6 - Trepidation Redux

I've been at my new job for seven months now. The best indicator of how it's going is probably the several boxes of work stuff that are still in my car that I expected to make its way from my old desk to my new one. I suppose that I feel that taking them in is a waste of time.

I took a purely technical software development job, since most of the management positions available were hybrid positions—half management, half technical—and some of my tech skills were a bit outdated. I figured I'd take a step back to get up to speed.

The technical part is going fairly well. I'm learning stuff and gaining experience—exactly what I expected. What I didn't expect was how frustrating it is to be a manager in a technical role working for a management team that doesn't seem to really get software development in a culture that's designed for failure.

With the domain knowledge needed here, it probably takes a year just to have any idea what you're talking about (notice I'm not there), yet the turnover rate is astounding. We lost three really good developers—cool people who were great to work with—within two months of my arrival—and the guy who interviewed me was gone before I got here. One new hire lasted a week. This week we're losing another developer, so of the four of us that remain, only one has been here longer than me, and the other two are plotting their escape.

It was the right job at the right time. That time is quickly fading.

If anyone is looking for a software development manager... <sigh>