Software engineers, for the most part, become emotionally involved with their work. In many ways, they resemble artists more than “traditional” professionals. They treat source code as a work of art, care about every detail, and feel frustration when a company decides to abandon a project in which they invested time and energy.

This may seem beautiful and, in some ways, it really is. The problem is that this emotional involvement makes software engineers particularly vulnerable to burnout.

Let’s look at some reasons why engineers tend to overwork:

The feeling of being useful

When I read Sean Goedecke’s article about the addiction to being useful, it was easy to see myself in it and recognize many colleagues. People who genuinely enjoy helping, solving problems, and “making things happen”.

This profile often works beyond paid hours, extends the workday, or even sacrifices weekends, all for the satisfaction of completing an important feature or unblocking a project that seemed stuck. When questioned, the person usually doesn’t feel exploited: no one told them to work extra. It was their decision.

But was it really?

In an episode of Modern Family, Gloria pretends to be tired and overwhelmed to manipulate Claire into cleaning her house. Claire, obsessed with work and feeling guilty for having quit her job, becomes a perfect victim. No one forced her, but someone knew exactly how to trigger her.

This could easily happen in a corporate environment.

See more in this other article by Sean Goedecke about manipulation and time theft.

Satisfaction from completing something or solving a problem

This case is similar to the previous one, but the motivation is slightly different. Here, the main driver is the intellectual challenge. The problem must be solved, often not because it is urgent or a priority, but because of the challenge of saying “I did it!”

It’s the engineer who gets frustrated if someone else finishes the task first or if the project is canceled because it’s “no longer a priority.”

The reward is not helping someone, but the completion itself. Closing the loop. The “aha!” moment.

Being needed

Here comes another very common profile: the hero.

This is the person who takes all the tasks, solves everything, answers messages at any hour, and becomes the team’s technical bottleneck. Colleagues feel behind, insecure, or dependent. Any more complex task “needs” to go through this person, because only they are capable of solving it.

Power can be intoxicating, and many times the person doesn’t even realize they have entered this dynamic. Here, the person thinks that nothing is “asking too much” because they feel special and chosen.

Everything works fine until the day this person goes on vacation, gets sick, or leaves the company. Then chaos sets in.

The hamster wheel trap

When talking to software engineers, almost everyone seems tired. Many complain about dedicating themselves a lot and still not getting promoted.

Like a hamster in a wheel: running, running, running, but not going anywhere. Like a trap, engineers work until they are exhausted but see no results in their career progression.

In another article, Sean Goedecke talks about the concept of the “spotlight” when it comes to promotions. The question is not how much you work, but where and when you work.

Many times, we overwork not because it is necessary, but because of anxiety, attachment, or obsession with “doing it right.” Meanwhile, promotions follow strategic priorities.
Did the company decide to invest in service mesh? You become an expert in three days.
Did the focus shift to AI? Same thing.

It works, but it’s exhausting.

Jia Yue Zhao brings another perspective when talking about non-promotable tasks: activities that consume time, energy, and goodwill but do not contribute to career growth.

Will planning an internal event to promote technology XYZ help you get promoted?
If not, maybe the answer needs to be a “no.”

The problem is knowing exactly which tasks help and which do not. I recommend reading the article to figure it out for yourself.

Conclusion

Lately, I’ve been trying to keep in mind the idea of good enough. Not in the sense of giving up on technical excellence or thinking that “anything goes,” but of recognizing real limits.

Our mental and physical energy is limited. Seeking the most perfect solution for every problem stops being a virtue and becomes waste.

Part of maturing is creating and recognizing limits.

That is, knowing when something has already fulfilled its purpose, when a piece of work has reached its goal, and when it’s time to move on.

References

The Modern Family episode mentioned is episode 7 of season 11 (“The Last Thanksgiving”).