Ask HN: Senpais, seniors developers, do you still write code at your job?

[crocarneiro]

I know it change from company to company (that's why I am asking here to be honest), but I see some people saying that seniors don't even code anymore. Is it true (in your case)?

Senpai, do you write code at your job? Or you spend the most of you time just replying e-mails, reviewing pull requests, attending boring meetings, mentoring the juniors and writing documents?

I am at the same company for four years now so I don't know what the seniors out there are doing. So I'm just asking here to know the answers of a bubble different from mine and different from the usual youtube channels I watch.

Thanks in advance.

[tjr]

In my observation at my company, it can vary wildly. Some senior engineers are primarily organizers and communicators; others are primarily skilled programmers and software architects. I think it kind of varies with what you personally like to do, and what you personally are good at doing.

[crocarneiro]

Hmm I see. At my company the seniors who did not dropped out became POs (product owner). Given we barely have developers with 5 > years in house I can say that most seniors here are organizers and communicators too.

[meowzero]

I'm senior and been at many companies. We still write a ton of code. Of course, you do that and still do PRs, attend boring meetings, mentor juniors, etc.

[crocarneiro]

That makes sense. Lately the demand for seniors is high. I see a lot job postings for "Senior Software Engineer...", you wouldn't hire a guy to not code at all. If you do you might as well just contract a consultant

[d--b]

No, my company likes to keep people in the weeds. Even the most senior guys code. It's better for empathy and for team bonding in general.

[crocarneiro]

That's true. There was this senior guy in our company we could ask him anything about .NET and C# and he would live code for us to answer or question. So I think it's nice to have some senior close whom you can count on to help you code.