Are senior developers misused in your company?

Source: Dev.to

Background

This post is intended as an information‑gathering effort, and I’ll also share my own experience.

Observations

In the three large companies where I worked as a consultant, the best developers are chronically overloaded with work. Their schedules are packed with mandatory meetings, often because they hold a leadership role. In many of those meetings, their presence isn’t required for the content being discussed; they are invited simply because the head of development on a project must attend.

Someone made that decision once, and it was never re‑evaluated on a meeting‑by‑meeting basis. It seems easier to invite everyone who might have something to say than to carefully consider who is truly needed for the topic at hand.

Philosophy on Meetings

Only invite the people who are absolutely necessary to achieve the purpose of the meeting.

In my experience, especially for regular meetings, large companies often do not share this philosophy.

Impact

This creates a tragic waste of valuable developer time. The best developers are the ones who need undistracted periods to reflect and think deeply. They provide the most value when given that time, yet they are frequently given the least opportunity for deep work.

Call for Feedback

What is your experience? I’m especially interested in hearing from people working at small companies, as I have no experience there.

See you in the comments!