“Passion” in Software Development Helps Nobody
Photo by Kashawn Hernandez on Unsplash
Software developers are typically excited when they apply for a new job. If you don’t feel the following emotions, perhaps you should not make that job application:
excitement
a willingness to learn more in your tech area
a positive attitude to working with new people
“These feelings do not represent passion though.
I’m talking about the passion that is spoken about in job adverts. An evangelical love for a job.”
“Passion through this lens is an impossible manager’s dream. It is the idea that employees will run through walls for the company.
The employees will work against their own self-interest through love for the company.
I want to walk you further through my hate for passion in software development and what it might mean for you as a software engineer”
Programming != Passion
We love programming! All of us!
“I’ve seen plenty of programmers who lack any sort of love for coding. I actually think that is a problem but isn’t the target of today’s blog post.
No. I want to make a distinction between programming passion and the sort of passion we are expected to display for our corporate programming work.
There is a world of difference between the instant feedback we get while we take part in fun coding challenges and the tiresome tasks we get at work and companies fail to reward their employees.”
Differentiating coding and corporate coding
“I think many readers of this blog will hate corporate coding. I think I’m not the only one and I’m seriously thinking of moving into a cheap room in a shared apartment and starting coding all day.
Why?
Corporate programming work is not just sitting at the monitor and coding. Employees must deal with the following tasks that can suck coding passion from even the best software engineers.”
Common non-coding tasks in corporate gigs:
Code reviews, with 20 “nitpick” comments
Tech refinements
Status meetings
“I don’t want to say that poor code reviews and meetings are the only problem. There are some other reasons why software developers get worn down and think about leaving their positions”
Developer turn-offs:
Lack of management
Too much management (AKA Micro-management)
Deadlines
Stress
Poor code
Other programmers are clearly better than you
Other programmers are clearly worse than you
“I understand that there are some programmers reading this blog who love everything after their 30 years of coding.
Unfortunately, I live in the real world and even though I have good and bad days I feel the bad days are stacking up. For me, that is because of poor code.
To have a `passion` for programming when you are surrounded by poor code that gives defects and prevents the delivery of new features is a really big ask. My answer to this is that type of passion does not exist.”
Product != Passion
“I’m actually going to say that it is possible to love a product. To advocate for it. To really want other people to feel what you feel for it.
It’s unusual though, and if you are working on accountancy software I really believe there is no software engineer who really passionately believes in improving the lives of financial controllers in SME businesses.”
Here is The Secret Developer’s full list of products that they believe you can be passionate about:
Toys, or things you used as a child
Personal electronics
Food consumed as a child
Restaurants
Sports teams
Brands you irrationally love (Apple)
“These might change for individuals, yeah, you might love your shower cleaner or whatever. For any individual, there are a limited number of products and brands you really feel for.
When a company demands passion for its financial service or middleware solution? It’s impossible.
When a company believes you can feel passion for a team of accountancy staff in Delaware and have passion for your committed contractual SLA? I have no words.”
Conclusion
The Secret Developer claims that the level of passion asked for from companies is nonsensical.
“I believe that the problem isn’t exactly asking for ‘passion’ from our software people. The problem is we are asking for a near-religious dedication to a brand or product where no sane person would care.
This needs to stop”