GoKawiilEssay Argues Engineers Should Directly Fix Other Teams' Systems to Get Things Done
A software engineering essay makes the case for proactively doing other people's jobs when they won't act themselves, citing Intel engineers who reportedly added 32-bit CPU support directly into Microsoft's compiler rather than waiting for Microsoft to do it. The piece extends this logic to dealing with unresponsive managers and slow-moving 'Scaled Agile' planning processes, suggesting direct patches often beat waiting for bureaucratic scheduling.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The argument challenges rigid organizational boundaries and formal planning processes that many companies rely on, suggesting that individual initiative and cross-team contribution can outpace corporate process. It resonates with ongoing debates in engineering culture about bureaucracy, agile fatigue, and how real progress often happens outside official channels.
- The essay cites a historical example of Intel engineers adding CPU support into Microsoft's own compiler.
- It argues that submitting patches directly is often faster than navigating formal Agile planning cycles.
- It frames doing others' jobs not as charity but as a practical way to get necessary work done.
Source: yosefk.com, 2026-09-15
Published there as: “Doing Everyone Else's Job”
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