> What I've found is that the typical developer/engineer is really bad at saying "no" or "not now" to others.
The reason for this, by the way, is roughly that it's short-term easier to think about how to solve their problem so that they'll go away rather than "waste time" arguing about priority. People outside the engineering department tend to be a lot more well-versed in making a case for priority and instinctively push more than the engineer pushes back.
Also, many thanks for being one of the awesome people who help deal with this. As a developer who has worked under a few great manager-types (and has a ton of trouble saying no to a request), you make all the difference.
The reason for this, by the way, is roughly that it's short-term easier to think about how to solve their problem so that they'll go away rather than "waste time" arguing about priority. People outside the engineering department tend to be a lot more well-versed in making a case for priority and instinctively push more than the engineer pushes back.
Also, many thanks for being one of the awesome people who help deal with this. As a developer who has worked under a few great manager-types (and has a ton of trouble saying no to a request), you make all the difference.