[MrDom]

A programmer in a management or CEO role could make the lives of every programmer underneath him better. After all, he actually knows how to make software. By extension, he knows what's possible and what's not, what's reasonable schedule-wise and what's not. Most managers/CEOs don't.

[gress]

Does he? It sounds like he avoided responsibility for anything that might have carried risk, and only picked easy wins with good visibility in order to make himself look good.

[MrDom]

I know there are people who climb the ladder in the manner in which you state. Is this guy one of them? Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain: at the very least, he has the base minimal understanding of the software life cycle, which is always beneficial in a manager. Even one who shirks responsibility for visibility. ;)

[gress]

Sure, but assuming he is such a person, you are implying that this minimal understanding of the software life cycle is better for engineers at his company than integrity and a desire to see engineers justly rewarded for their efforts. I doubt that.

[MrDom]

you are implying that this minimal understanding of the software life cycle is better for engineers at his company than integrity and a desire to see engineers justly rewarded for their efforts.

I implied no such thing. I'm making a generalization. Your statements so far consist of "Yes, but what if he's an irredeemable sociopath? It's better to have a non-sociopath who doesn't understand software than a sociopath who does." I agree with that, but those aren't the only two options on the table and I refuse to believe the worst in somebody I've never met and only know through an anecdote in a hacker news comment.

[gress]

Neither of us are making judgements about an actual named person here. We are talking about an example that was given. This stance of 'I refuse to believe the worst in someone based on anecdote' is disingenuous.

That example included a detailed description of the ways the person achieved advancement, which fit the characterization I gave.

You are just choosing to ignore that.

[MrDom]

You are just choosing to ignore that.

Wow, you really don't see it, do you? Huh.

It sounds like he avoided responsibility for anything that might have carried risk

That directly contradicts the description GFisher gave, which was "he didn't shirk "hard" projects per se, but he'd only take them if they were very high visibility". You can't take projects without assuming responsibility and you can only say they carried no risk unless you assume that any and all high visibility tasks were low to no risk. I can speak from experience and say that's very much not true.

It sounds like you've projected onto him your disdain for people that move up ladders instead of make things. And you don't even realize it.