Ask HN: How many non-techies are employed in software for every engineer?

1 pointsmichaelvkpdx10y ago4 comments

Just wondering if anyone has stats or stories about the number of non-engineers who have jobs as a result of the work of engineers.

A casual look at job postings these days shows a huge number of openings for sales, finance, customer support, marketing, HR, and managers, but I'm not sure there's a corresponding increase in engineers. It seems the number of non-techies working in the tech field is increasing while the number of techies isn't growing at the same rate, at least in software-driven companies.

4 comments

michaelvkpdxOP10y ago

And a corollary question: how many US engineers in US companies are employed for every non-techie? My experience has been that the more non-techies come on board, the more inclined the company is to offshore development.

michaelvkpdxOP10y ago

See also: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9999935 ("On the phenomenon of bullshit jobs")

omnivore10y ago

Well..you can't hire more developers if you're not getting customers, keeping them happy or paying your suppliers. So those other roles matter just as much as hiring a huge conclave of developers.

michaelvkpdxOP10y ago

Thanks, but that's not really the question. I'm trying to find out how many non-techies are supported by each engineer, and my hypothesis is that the number is increasing.

My hypothesis for US companies is that the number of non-techies supported by each US citizen engineer is going up at an even greater rate.

Your comment is based on the assumption that engineers cannot do any of the non-technical tasks a company has, and as an English major who is also an engineer, I think that's a false conception being perpetuated by people outside of engineering.

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Ask HN: How many non-techies are employed in software for every engineer?

1 pointsmichaelvkpdx10y ago4 comments

Just wondering if anyone has stats or stories about the number of non-engineers who have jobs as a result of the work of engineers.

4 comments

michaelvkpdxOP10y ago

See also: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9999935 ("On the phenomenon of bullshit jobs")

omnivore10y ago

Well..you can't hire more developers if you're not getting customers, keeping them happy or paying your suppliers. So those other roles matter just as much as hiring a huge conclave of developers.

michaelvkpdxOP10y ago

Thanks, but that's not really the question. I'm trying to find out how many non-techies are supported by each engineer, and my hypothesis is that the number is increasing.

My hypothesis for US companies is that the number of non-techies supported by each US citizen engineer is going up at an even greater rate.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse