This episode explores the challenges and potential solutions related to on-call rotations for software engineers, particularly focusing on a listener's experience of an excessively demanding schedule. Against the backdrop of this listener's grueling 12-hour, 7-day on-call shift with fuzzy alarming and a resulting health crisis, the hosts discuss potential improvements. More significantly, they suggest strategies such as advocating for shorter rotation durations (e.g., three-day rotations instead of seven) and improving the alerting system to reduce manual monitoring. For instance, the hosts propose a project to improve the technical aspects of on-call, making it less manual and less time-consuming. The discussion then pivots to a broader question about the relative skill levels of engineers in big tech versus non-tech companies, with the hosts concluding that while there's variation within both groups, big tech engineers tend to be more skilled on average. Ultimately, the episode highlights the importance of open communication with managers about on-call burdens and the value of diverse experiences in a software engineering career, whether in large corporations or smaller startups.
