Brendan Tompkins [MVP]

Blog First. Ask Questions Later.

Where do we go from here?

My good friend, Mark DiGiovanni, blogged on about other .NET languages, and he mentions *antique* software developers. I'll let others out there comment on his pejorative use of *antique* to describe “seasoned” developers, but this kinda brings up something that I think about quite often.

What is the ultimate long-term career path for talented software engineers? If you're worth your salt as a developer, and you enjoy it, you might want to continue doing software engineering. But, you'll probably have to resist the requests from management and recruiters to put you into senior positions sooner or later. Executive roles just aren't what most of us are born and bred for. If you're like me, you'd need a good haircut and new clothes just to begin. Then you've got management skills to deal with, politics, etc. Sooner or later, you're not writing code or engineering software anymore. I've always used this analogy: If a pitcher on a baseball team consistently wins games, do you make him first base coach? Is he to be expected to know anything at all about coaching?

But, then again, what are our other choices? Do we become teachers, authors, unemployed? What if we can't teach? What if we can't write? What if we have a mortgage? Is it possible to grow old being simply a software engineer? If so, do we eventually become *antique* ?

-Brendan

Published Dec 11 2003, 07:54 AM by Brendan Tompkins

Filed under: Consulting

Comments

Darrell said:

In a Dilbert-esque way, most people are promoted to their level of incompetence. This is more a reflection on bad management practices than it is on talented software engineers/developers/craftsmen.

At good companies, there is a technical advancement path. And, just like your baseball analogy, project managers can be managing software engineers that are paid more (maybe even much more) than they are!

Research shows that great developers can outproduce average developers by ratios of up to 10:1. If so, some of that value should be given to the great developer, mostly so that you don't lose him/her!

This is getting too long, but I am certainly interested in the topic. Maybe I'll post more at a later date.

# December 11, 2003 4:06 AM

Thom said:

Wow, I was having this exact same conversation with myself yesterday. What to do when you’re no longer excited about software engineering? Do you just grow old? Do you hang up the keyboard for pen and paper?

I had thought about the teaching path, but I'm not sure my temperament is right for teaching, all though I find that a great way to give back to an upcoming generation of IT professionals.

I know I couldn't just *retire*, I would drive my self insane.

You ask some interesting questions and hope that you get some feedback.

# December 11, 2003 5:06 AM

Charles said:

It's all about loyalty (or at least big chunk of it). Some people don't respect "managers" who haven't paid their dues in the trenches.

A lot of managers are great with politics but lack the ability to deal with the folks in the trenches.

They bridge the gap by looking for their "star" performers and promote them up the chain. These folks tend to have the respect of their fellow developers because they've been through the war together. When that person gets moved up the ladder, all the others are willing to support that person because he/she is a great guy/girl and have built a rapport with each other. They know the "manager" as a person... not as some flake off the street who's spent years going to seminars and can recite the "best practices" like the Pledge of Allegiance.

Those we've spent time in the trenches with know the "best practical practices" and that's why we're more open to coworkers we admire and respect when they progress to higher positions during their career.

# December 11, 2003 7:19 AM

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About Brendan Tompkins

Brendan has been programming with .NET since the first public beta and is owner and operator of Port Technology Services, a consultancy company providing .NET application development services to the Maritime industry. In July, 2007, he was awarded the Microsoft MVP award for ASP.NET. He's also a proud co-founder of failed .COM startup Intrinsigo, and has had a hand in the failure of numerous other businesses. He currently runs CodeBetter.Com and Devlicio.us, and lives in Norfolk, Virgina with his wife Tiara and son Ian.