Challenges and programmer's motivation.
Apr. 17th, 2008 06:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
izardI was recently asked what challenges do I have in the profession. The person who had asked a question is not a programmer so I could not just react with a technical joke and it really made me think, the answer is different to one I had 5 years ago and 10 years ago...
I first answered that I see no global challenges in the craft now, because I have a "been there, done that" feeling almost every time I approach a new task. I know where there are still quite a few tasks that are really challenging for me, but it's not very likely to encounter them in usual development process in industry, there are a bit more in academia though I strongly dislike academia's way of doing things.
There were a couple of memorable challenging experiences in the profession and beyond:
when I first fixed a bug few minutes before our product would fly to CEBIT that was a challenge.
when I first time was standing in front of ~300 software engineers, and I had to make a presentation on the same level or better then colleagues from Microsoft.
when I first had a key stake in multi-million deal that was a challenge.
when I first became responsible for releasing a product and directing a team for a first time that was a challenge.
when I had to schedule a trip covering customers in several European countries, all within a tight travel budget that was a challenge; once I even had to use 5 commuter(sic!) trains to get from Brussels to Munich overnight. I looked so strange in the morning wearing M-65 jacket and a backpack so polizei had approached me at the station and asked for "auswais" :)
Challenging task is an excellent tool for motivating an employee, but for a software engineer it is not one of the strongest motivators, like for other knowledge workers. The reason is the software is so soft ;) that shaping it actually a pleasure on it's own.
It's not challenges that motivate programmer, but rather feeling the medium is changing according to your thoughts. It's a feeling similar to one artist or craftsman experiences when creates a new thing, the thing he envisioned and then carefully crafted. So I know several CEOs of successful companies and a handful of high-rank managers who actually take any chance to code something (the later often for no good).
The inherent problem with this kind of motivation is handling complexity. It is often most compelling to use a very "smart" solution for the task, often on the edge of your mental abilities. (This often makes inexperience programmers use most complex or newest and "cool" tool for the job). It is still a threat (though manageable) for more experienced engineers. By the way it is a common belief among Russian software engineers that this problem is especially significant among them, I personally do not support this chauvinistic theory :)
P.S. I recall when I've came to St.Petersburg Intel branch from N.Novgorod branch I've been answering "why" question to a non-programmer who was surprised when I told that it is more rewarding to work on the foundation of a new product rather then on mature one :)
I first answered that I see no global challenges in the craft now, because I have a "been there, done that" feeling almost every time I approach a new task. I know where there are still quite a few tasks that are really challenging for me, but it's not very likely to encounter them in usual development process in industry, there are a bit more in academia though I strongly dislike academia's way of doing things.
There were a couple of memorable challenging experiences in the profession and beyond:
when I first fixed a bug few minutes before our product would fly to CEBIT that was a challenge.
when I first time was standing in front of ~300 software engineers, and I had to make a presentation on the same level or better then colleagues from Microsoft.
when I first had a key stake in multi-million deal that was a challenge.
when I first became responsible for releasing a product and directing a team for a first time that was a challenge.
when I had to schedule a trip covering customers in several European countries, all within a tight travel budget that was a challenge; once I even had to use 5 commuter(sic!) trains to get from Brussels to Munich overnight. I looked so strange in the morning wearing M-65 jacket and a backpack so polizei had approached me at the station and asked for "auswais" :)
Challenging task is an excellent tool for motivating an employee, but for a software engineer it is not one of the strongest motivators, like for other knowledge workers. The reason is the software is so soft ;) that shaping it actually a pleasure on it's own.
It's not challenges that motivate programmer, but rather feeling the medium is changing according to your thoughts. It's a feeling similar to one artist or craftsman experiences when creates a new thing, the thing he envisioned and then carefully crafted. So I know several CEOs of successful companies and a handful of high-rank managers who actually take any chance to code something (the later often for no good).
The inherent problem with this kind of motivation is handling complexity. It is often most compelling to use a very "smart" solution for the task, often on the edge of your mental abilities. (This often makes inexperience programmers use most complex or newest and "cool" tool for the job). It is still a threat (though manageable) for more experienced engineers. By the way it is a common belief among Russian software engineers that this problem is especially significant among them, I personally do not support this chauvinistic theory :)
P.S. I recall when I've came to St.Petersburg Intel branch from N.Novgorod branch I've been answering "why" question to a non-programmer who was surprised when I told that it is more rewarding to work on the foundation of a new product rather then on mature one :)
