This got some pick up just a few days ago again. Thread at <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16922147" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16922147</a>
The things that are on schedule are one part but there are other things not on the schedule when you have scheduled a few days to do programming.<p>I find it hard to balance between being unavailable to my colleagues/users and being interrupted all the time. Often the most efficient way to solve a software problem is to just come to the developer and resolve it together in a few minutes. These interruptions happen at random though and are hard to plan. Some days there are none and other days there are people almost lining up.<p>I also suspect that the mind is able to go into a deeper state when it does not expect to be interrupted all the time. So not only the interruptions but also the expectation thereof is taking energy away. Some days when there is nothing going on I even miss the interruptions and even get the feeling of needing to actively stray away with my concentration.<p>I wish my company would have a hidden room where I could go with a laptop, disconnect everything and emerge only after the work of the day is done.
Yet more PG blowing his own horn.<p>I think he too rigidly defines roles or used some archaic notion of manager that went away with the industrial revolution. When in reality a modern manager is a far more dynamic position than he gives it credit for...<p>Well he gives himself and YC credit for it.