Ask HN: I'm experiencing pair programming exhaustion, how best to cope with it?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17823532

by xmklb • 8 years ago

20 27 8 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

nramenta• 8 years ago

Stop pairing.

adiusmus• 8 years ago

What is your experience?

xmklb4• 8 years ago

The company I work for is completely committed to pair programming, which means everyone does it a 100% of the time. It is fine to help you ramp up when you just joined, but after 4 months of non-stop pairing, it seems like it's just too much.

pensatoio• 8 years ago

That’s ridiculous. Pairing 100% would seriously hamper productivity. You need time to withdraw into your mind and think through solutions.

This is why code reviews were invented.

otras3• 8 years ago

This is such an interesting approach. I’ve read about this at Pivotal, and it’s interesting to see how it’s described on their blog vs Glassdoor. I greatly enjoy working with another engineer to solve an especially tricky problem, but only pair programming seems like it would be exhausting.

What do you like and dislike about it?

dasmoth• 8 years ago

Is it exhaustion that can be handled by a week’s vacation? If yes, that might be a starting point. Otherwise, if the company if completely committed, it’s probably time to look for a new job.

I couldn’t handle four months...

abledon• 8 years ago

Sounds awful !! Make sure to get lots of exercise / lift weights / gym etc to combat the stress . The strength training will make you stronger and give you energy to apply for another job on the side.

phakding2• 8 years ago

This is very ideology over common sense. There is no scientific approach in software development. Did anyone conduct a reproducible study that was peer reviewed that concluded that pair programming was x-times better in creating relatively bug free software?

We just latch onto hysteria.

xmklb4• 8 years ago

Fully agree. I would be really interested in seeing such a study.

codeonfire• 8 years ago

There are academic studies of pair programming. If I remember, it does obviously decrease software defects, but almost everyone that wants pair programming ignores the fact that you are now paying twice as much for the same software. The software is not 2x better. Obviously a programmer's salary is so minuscule to the business managers don't even factor this into their thinking. Usually they want pair programming for political reasons, i.e. no single person can ask for a raise due to being the most knowledgeable.

meiraleal• 8 years ago

There is no need of studies to see that pair programming is a great way to pass experience from a more to a less experienced software engineer. It might not be the only one way to tutor a junior, not even the best, but works.

phakding2• 8 years ago

Hopefully you don't work in medicine or in any discipline where lives are at stake.

bjornlouser• 8 years ago

Place a stack of books so that only you can see the monitor, then feed your partner info as needed when you get stuck.

krasicki• 8 years ago

Threesome

Ask HN: I'm experiencing pair programming exhaustion, how best to cope with it?

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