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Steve Jobs on Average vs Best Software Developers

benlakey.com

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Re: Steve Jobs on Average vs Best Software Developers

#11
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Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd say it applies even more to great developers. Good programming greatly multiplies a single person's work. When great developers get together and all understand a set of best practices along with bringing in unique individual talents, then their creative output will be exponentially better than a group of lesser programmers.

wouldn't that be the case with any sort of group project? i.e. hard sciences

The bureaucracy in the institutions doing hard sciences eventually wears down even the sharpest mind.

Re: Steve Jobs on Average vs Best Software Developers

#13
A bit of a meta question: As someone who feels like a 'B' or even 'C' at times, what would it take to become an 'A' player? Is it predicated on pure talent alone, hard work, or experience?

Even though I know I'm still a junior developer (~1 yr exp), I feel hopeless at times that I'll never approach being 'A' status especially knowing that I have many peers my age that are already far and away better than me. How would I overcome that?

Re: Steve Jobs on Average vs Best Software Developers

#14
post #9

IMO truly great developers are not just developers. They are also software architects, UX and UI designers, network engineers, etc. "A" developers knock down learning curves and assimilate everything about software creation innately .

This is absolutely the right answer. I would add that the BEST developers are those that have some business or project management background.

That way they can put what they are doing in the greater context of the organisation. As well as add a lot more weighting to maintainability and future flexibility over the "latest cool thing".

Re: Steve Jobs on Average vs Best Software Developers

#15

We hear this a lot and somehow feel it's true but there are no reliable metrics and little verifiable data so ultimately it's just talk.

Agreed, I'm getting kind of sick of these articles. It's like if the developer community here started posting fluff pieces about how you need to use the best programming languages and the most optimized frameworks.

Maybe I'm out of step with the recruiting community but are there people who are sitting around going "let's round up some really mediocre candidates?"

Re: Steve Jobs on Average vs Best Software Developers

#16
His response reminds me a lot of what I have read in Valve's employee handbook (http://newcdn.flamehaus.com/Valve_Handbook_LowRes.pdf) in regards to their developer culture. By what I understand, Valve has established a self policing system in which every employee has complete autonomy over what they decide to work on or contribute to. Gabe Newell is emphatic about the flat hierarchy of Valve and its peer-review system that replaces the need for managers. I've struggled to understand why this has been successful for them as an influential video game company, but it appears Jobs' insight underlines a similar truth. Good developers are not only great problem solvers, but managers in themselves that comprehend the work needed to be done and are willing to work with those smarter than themselves to see it done.

Re: Steve Jobs on Average vs Best Software Developers

#17
post #13

A bit of a meta question: As someone who feels like a 'B' or even 'C' at times, what would it take to become an 'A' player? Is it predicated on pure talent alone, hard work, or experience? Even though I know I'm still a junior developer (~1 yr exp), I feel hopeless at times that I'll never approach being 'A' status especially knowing that I have many peers my age that are already far and away better than me. How woul…

Key question: Are your peers better than you due to experience or talent? In other words have they also been doing this for a year or several years? If they've been doing it for several years even though they're the same age as you they aren't your peers. By the way I suggest you check out the 10,000 hour rule: http://www.gladwell.com/outliers/outliers_excerpt1.html

Re: Steve Jobs on Average vs Best Software Developers

#19

I think there is a lot of talk about hiring an "A" developer, but almost nothing on what makes an A developer an A developer. More likely than not, it a continuum, and that a lot of engineers have the potential to be an A, but don't end up getting there due to one reason or another. It would be great to see some discussion on what environment could one provide that would enable A players to thrive and reach their pot…

It would be great to see some discussion on what environment could one provide that would enable A players to thrive and reach their potential.

Pay them enough, give them an interesting problem, and lock them in a room with a bunch of other A players

Re: Steve Jobs on Average vs Best Software Developers

#20
post #13

A bit of a meta question: As someone who feels like a 'B' or even 'C' at times, what would it take to become an 'A' player? Is it predicated on pure talent alone, hard work, or experience? Even though I know I'm still a junior developer (~1 yr exp), I feel hopeless at times that I'll never approach being 'A' status especially knowing that I have many peers my age that are already far and away better than me. How woul…

My experience is somewhat limited to places that probably don't have the best developers in the world, but I think one of the major things I've noticed in people that I would consider to be mediocre programmers is a lack of desire to understand how something works. They just want to get the thing they need to work, and often times this lack of desire to understand how something works extends to their own code. If you strive to understand how your own code works, you will be much more likely to notice the bugs as you think through the flow.

Early on when I was learning to program, I had a very strong curiosity that made me want to understand how everything works. I think if you have that natural curiosity, it is the easiest way to become a better programmer. As I've gotten older, though, that has waned. In response, I've tried to build habits of investigating things and trying to learn about them when I don't understand them. It is tempting to just use google to find the answer, or "shotgun" it by trying all kinds of random things before you get it to work, but learning how it works is always the best, and it will pay off later.

So, I guess my main point here is to just keep tinkering and reading and getting your head wrapped around all these things so that you understand them well. Then things will eventually become "easy" and intuitive.

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