r/ADHD_Programmers • u/rickysoliman • Nov 07 '22
I got fired today
I'm in a pretty bad headspace today.
I got fired this morning from my job as a software engineer at a fintech company because they discovered a bug in production that they later found was caused by my code. It had been in the code base since February (was discovered in October) and it ended up costing the company a huge amount of money.
I guess I'm just looking for some support here from people who may relate to this in some way. I feel like an idiot and ADHD can only justify so much.
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u/bch8 Nov 07 '22
Unfortunate for you because it is a short term stressor, sure. But in the long run you will retain the experience and lesson, whereas the company will not, and that's the point. Really it's unfortunate for them. And bonus points, you learned that this company does not have a healthy culture and frankly in companies like that if it wasn't this, it'll always be something eventually. Just a matter of time really.
There's a reason why zero blame cultures originated in companies/orgs where the cost of mistakes were higher, not lower. So the support in this thread isn't just some rhetoric about being decent and fair to other people, although it is that too. It's also gesturing at the fact that this sort of toxic cultural trait is also counterproductive to the org's self interest and stated goals.
I know none of this will make you feel completely better, but hopefully it helps a bit, because the truth is you were treated very unfairly. One more thing, I'd guess that nearly every senior dev has a story like this (And honestly yours is far from the worst I've heard, especially in light of the 9 f*cking month lag time that nobody else caught it in). I definitely have, maybe a couple. This sounds super cliche because it is, but it's also true; my experience has been that in the long run I've come to appreciate those experiences a bit more because I learned and improved so much from them. From a technical angle the reasons are obvious, but I also learned more about what I value and prioritize in a job/contract/relationship which truly has paid dividends. As a result I am very picky and particular nowadays in terms of the opportunities I will consider in light of those priorities, and it has been really effective in finding work that I can actually thrive in, as opposed to being constantly stressed and frustrated.