“It’s just this once. I’ll stay late and get it done.”
That’s how it starts. You want to impress your manager and senior engineers on the team. You’re a team player, right?
So, you stay late. Finish the thing. Get the difficult project done all on your own.
Then, something goes wrong with that piece of code. Or, the requirements change. Or, somebody needs a new feature built on top of the original thing you built.
Since you implemented the first version, on your own, you’re the expert! That new work shifts to you. All of the sudden, you’ve made yourself the single source of knowledge on how the code works.
Over time, it can get worse if you continue to be the hero, staying late & fixing problems for the team.
Doing heavy lifts on your own is a bad idea. When you’re the only person with knowledge, the work will compound on you.
What's the solution? Set boundaries on your work & share your knowledge freely! Simple to say, difficult to practice.