The Small Lies Developers Tell to Keep Work Moving - ShiftMag

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15.06.2026.

Developer Experience

Software Engineering

The Small Lies Developers Tell to Keep Work Moving

Anastasija Uspenski

Developers share how they handle deadlines, pressure, and team communication - and why small white lies sometimes help engineering teams keep moving.

We played "Truth or Dare" with developers again, truth only, with no option to dodge the answer by doing push-ups.

Developers from different parts of the industry spoke about how they survive tight deadlines, tension inside engineering teams, and the subtle, protective lies they use to get through the week.

There’s a pressure to sound confident

In engineering teams, pressure, shifting priorities, and the need to move quickly shape communication. In that environment, “truth” is more about signaling confidence , alignment, and forward progress than precision.

Weekly meetings, fast delivery cycles, and constantly changing priorities push developers to learn that how they communicate can matter as much as the work itself.

That is why we asked how developers manage expectations. The phrase “it will be done” often appears early , sometimes before anyone fully understands the scope of the task. Under pressure, estimates tend to be optimistic, and reality usually forces adjustments as the work moves forward.

At the same time, developers handle that pressure in different ways – some narrow their focus and push through tight deadlines, while others start by asking whether those deadlines even make sense.

The truth about deadlines

Deadlines sound like a nightmare for an engineering mind, so we asked our developers how they deal with them.

Some described how short deadlines increase focus and force prioritization . Others questioned whether extreme deadlines reflect process problems rather than urgency.

Hrvoje Rančić, Senior Software Engineer, described how constant pressure can indicate systemic misalignment rather than effective planning:

I realized that deadlines can sometimes be a mechanism of manipulation. If there are too many short deadlines, something is wrong in the process. Either people are making unrealistic promises, expectations are unrealistic, or there is poor communication between product and engineering.

At the same time, other participants admitted that deadlines can help with focus and discipline, but only when they are based on a realistic scope of work , not on constant escalation of pressure.

The point is not that deadlines are bad, but that misaligned and unrealistic deadlines often point to deeper organizational issues.

Engineering is often about people, not just code

The stereotype of the isolated, antisocial engineer still exists, even though modern software development is highly collaborative. That misconception often clashes with the reality of teamwork, where communication, negotiation, and constant alignment are a key part of the job .

Kristina Valjak, Engineering Lead, summarized it:

Some people think engineers are introverts who don’t socialize, who sit in basements and stare at screens all day. Maybe it’s true that we’re not social enough, but in reality, everyone is smart.

The irony is that engineering work is rarely isolated. Most of the tension developers describe does not come from code, but from coordination between them, the product teams, and management.

How developers smooth over the truth at work

Developers often tell small, strategic lies to keep work flowing smoothly. These are not dramatic deceptions, but everyday adjustments such as overconfidence in estimates, downplaying uncertainty, or agreeing in meetings while problems are resolved in the background.

Emin Mulaimović, Junior AI Engineer, reflected on this broader communication culture, recalling an anecdote from his first job:

At my first job they told me not to say I was happy at work, so I kept complaining all the time. I think that’s the only lie I tell. I don’t tell them how much fun I actually have working there and how much I enjoy the job.

In another example, a developer described solving an issue during a break and returning to the meeting without interrupting the flow of discussion. In other cases, developers admitted to deliberately inflating estimates or simplifying status reports to avoid unnecessary tension .

This behavior is not so much about deception as it is about reducing “noise” in systems that are already complex enough.

Want to hear more? Check out the video.

Special thanks to our fellow colleagues at Infobip, the publisher of ShiftMag!

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