Sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you work, your going to get laid off either way.
Just showing up can sometimes make the difference.
Your not paid to be a software developer. Your being paid to be a problem solver.
Literally an hour ago my boss tells me he doesn't think I'm working fast enough because things aren't always getting finished. I tell him that six months ago the labour budget was reasonable and but now I have half as many hours to do the same amount of work.
He tells me it can't be helped, the labour budget is what it is. I tell him that the work can't be helped without more labour, because it is what it is.
Anyway, I guess what I learned on the job is if you use management's own words against them you'll get written up