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How Software Companies Die (1995)

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Re: How Software Companies Die (1995)

#21
post #2

Post should be titled "The 437th Time You've Read About Programmer's Tribal Aversion to 'Marketers', Except This Time Written By Orson Scott Card" P.S. Let me take a whack at the bee's nest: good software that can't be marketed, isn't.

That depends entirely on your definition of "good software", something which the article has already addressed.

Like soldiers or artists, you don't care about the opinions of civilians. You're building something intricate and fine.

I think the use of the words "marketers" and "managers" in the article is misleading and only causes hostile knee-jerk responses. Rather, what's important in the article is the description of what happens when drones take over a software company, i.e. a stifling environment, which hackers cannot stand, and for good reason. Better people than I have written about this. For example, PG.

Those in authority tend to be annoyed by hackers' general attitude of disobedience. But that disobedience is a byproduct of the qualities that make them good programmers. They may laugh at the CEO when he talks in generic corporate newspeech, but they also laugh at someone who tells them a certain problem can't be solved. Suppress one, and you suppress the other.

Come to think of it, PG probably makes the same point in a more neutral (and productive) manner --> http://www.paulgraham.com/gba.html

Re: How Software Companies Die (1995)

#22
That is the common case for a small company which was founded by managers of financial people who do not understand programming at all.

People who are familiar with software development processes are focusing on code readability and simplicity which means quality, instead of a skills of coders.

Re: How Software Companies Die (1995)

#23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The central thesis of the article seems to be stated in the first sentence "The environment that nurtures creative programmers kills management and marketing types--and vice versa" Are you saying this is not true? I've been trying to think of a company that is an exception to this, but i can't. [EDIT maybe Apple?] I know that Google managers complain that engineers are taken more seriously in Google then themselves.…

I've yet to meet a superb marketer or manager who thrives in a stifling environment. That repeated stereotype among techies reflects the closed-mindedness of cliques rather than some supposed 'liberated' viewpoint of hackers.

If a marketer or manager thrives in such an environment, there is a good chance they are mediocre at best.

Creative people keep banging against the limits corporate rules impose on them. Those who don't bang are not creative.

Re: How Software Companies Die (1995)

#24
post #4

"Put them on a time clock, dress them in suits, and they become sullen and start sabotaging the product." So "real" programmers can't dress properly and reject any form of structure? Can we push these trivial stereotypes aside and instead realize that great programmers have a range of personalities? Smart people of all backgrounds, programmers included, rebel against rules that do not make sense. But rejecting rules…

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