Being a Software Engineer at a Hardware Company

Harold Combs

Giving you a snapshot of how overloaded a software engineer can become when he’s working for a hardware company:

My current projects/tasks/research items:

  • On my current product:

    1. security:

      • Support for test tools for our next printer family that’s currently in test

      • New server function responsibilities

      • Updatest to a spec that’s 3 months out-of-date

      • Unit tests that I haven’t written

    2. bug Reports: 7 outstanding (probably will get more)

    3. Field issues: none (for now)

    4. General technical leadership responsibilities: 30mins-2hrs / day

  • My new project:

    1. Work on a prototype (with 2 other guys)

    2. Setting-up a new build system for the project

    3. Represent my team with several committee’s and working groups

    4. Trying to teach myself 3 new technologies

I just took a second to write on my current responsibilities and it’s amazing. I feel like I’m floundering in the storm here.