Software Engineers are Creators, Not Builders
I read a great article about the psychology of software developers this morning. It rang true with my experiences of working as a developer for the past decade. Nicholas describes very well what many people outside of the profession fail to understand: software development is creating, not building.
Software engineers are creators. Building is what you do when you buy a piece of furniture from Ikea and get it home. The instructions are laid out and if you go step by step, you’ll get that comically small table you wanted. Creating is a different process, it’s birthing something without direction or instruction. It’s starting with a blank canvas and painting a masterpiece.
It’s a long article that is worth a read when you have the time if your job involves working with software developers, or if someone in your family is a software developer. The reaction this article is getting is that it’s sentiment rings true for a large number of people.
So bookmark/instapaper the link and settle in for a read this weekend, and thanks Nicholas for writing so clearly what many of us are thinking and feeling.
