Be the Problem Solver

I've worked at several software companies, and I've seen the issues I'm about to describe more than once. And frankly, the topic I'm about to write about is not unique to software companies. It's a generic topic that can happen at any kind of company in any industry, and within any division / department of that company. The topic is the ugly problem - the problem that everyone shies away from. The problem that everyone agrees does not have a simple solution. The problem that most people avoid altogether. The problem that the company wishes didn't exist.

You know what sort of problem I'm talking about. In the software industry, a classic example is the product or products that have accumulated enough technical debt, or were designed & developed so long ago, that the effort to bring them up to current best practices / standards is overwhelming.

I'm not going to go into great detail about the kinds of problems that fit in this category. I don't need to – these kinds of problems are quite obvious to almost anyone, almost immediately. What I'm going to talk about is how you can change how you are seen by your boss, your boss's boss, on up the chain. Be the person who decides that you aren't going to avoid that problem anymore. Attack it head on – brainstorm it, get others involved, dig in and don't let go, until there is a plan on how to move forward towards a better state.

Now this isn't quite as simple as I'm making it out to be. The domain of the problem needs to fit within your skill set, and ideally, it should be something that you are actually good at, and that you enjoy doing. If you've done the right thing in finding your ideal job, you're already doing something you're good at, and that you enjoy doing. That intersection does define the ideal job after all.

So, to sum up, be on the lookout for that ugly problem that no one wants to deal with, that is a good fit for your skill set, and you have real potential to do something about. And attack it with everything you have. Be seen as the person who doesn't shy away from the difficult or ugly problems!