All systems - technical or organizational - need a little slack to run well. Max capacity all the time is not desirable nor sustainable.
When it comes to computing, companies recognize this. If a system is pegged at max CPU for a prolonged period, we try to reduce load, optimize the work, or add more resources.
Yet when it comes to running an engineering organization, many leaders forget this truth. I’ve seen teams go through a lot of grief with burndown charts, story point tracking, and hard deadlines.
Moreover, individual developers suffer from external expectations, performance metrics, and self-imposed guilt over slow progress. The message from teams and developers alike is that anything but peak productivity is a failure.
That’s not only insane; it’s unhealthy.
Put plainly: productivity isn’t static. And it can’t constantly be at “peak.” The sooner we recognize that — personally & as an industry — the more we’ll create humane products and workplaces.