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 threadRandy SlaveyJul 12, 2023
@searls Something I'm seeing is the general attitude of, "I'm an X developer." (front end, JavaScript, no-code, python, whatever) with a reluctance to branch out. I recall a half dozen times in my career where I've said, "Well, I guess I better learn [new language or tech] since it's what's being used for web/database/ML." Without the passion you describe, I think these shifts are less likely, resulting in a revolving door of new devs rather than retaining those with valuable domain knowledge.
Show threadNoah Gibbs

@randyslavey @searls That was pretty common in the old generation as well, including a *marked* reluctance by backend people to ever learn frontend or JS.

It tends to get better with age as you realise you won't get to keep a single specialty exclusively forever.

(Or you work at, like, Lockheed or something and stay in that silo. Old folks do that, too, including enthusiast-flavoured old folks.)

Jul 13, 2023 at 6:33amWeb