Justin SearlsJul 12, 2023

Remember some of the hot-button issues in tech over the last decade? People angry over the use of the word "passion". The merits of "craftsmanship". Whether the "10x developer" is a myth.

Something connects all of these debates, and nobody's really talking about it. That's why I wrote this essay: https://blog.testdouble.com/posts/2023-07-12-the-looming-demise-of-the-10x-developer/

The looming demise of the 10x developer

Tech's most contentious debates end with people talking over each other, but they make way more sense viewed through the lens of inter-generational conflict.

Test Double
Show threadNathan Arthur (OLD ACCOUNT)Jul 12, 2023

@searls fantastic article. It’s a great insight. I recognized this years ago, as cultural conflict within teams and organizations, but I didn’t connect it to all the social issues.

A key realization for me: a lot of great products are made by “new generation” teams. Maybe the code isn’t as great. Maybe the development doesn’t go as quickly. But product success often (usually!) doesn’t depend on those things being optimized. Great product management decisions (usually) matter more.

Show threadNathan Arthur (OLD ACCOUNT)
@searls another insight from thinking about this as generational: modern (i.e. younger) dev teams are made up of devs with varying strengths and weaknesses, who balance out the strengths and weaknesses of the other devs on their team. The historical norm of "the dev who can do it all" is mostly dead.
Jul 12, 2023 at 9:41pmWeb
Show threadJustin SearlsJul 12, 2023
@narthur great point. I could have added a whole section on "full stack dev" as another example of a flashpoint that's obscured by the generational angle. Thanks!