Snobs Are Ruining the Software Development Experience
Surprisingly for someone who thinks standards and qualifications in software development are important, The Secret Developer believes that the judgmental attitude of their fellow software developers is damaging to the whole industry and needs to be considered.
“Whether we are interviewing candidates or meeting peers at a tech meetup we judge software developers with a harsh eye. We’re basically snobs in the worst possible way, and it is harming us as an industry.”
Snobbery
We can take a definition of snobbery from love expert Alain de Botton.
“A snob is anybody who takes a small part of you and uses that to come to a complete vision of who you are. That is snobbery.”
The Secret Developer is certainly a snob. They think pull requests should be well-formed, documentation should be agreed upon and clear, and a host of other nitpicky and obscure standards should be adhered to.
“This isn’t about standards. In our field, snobbery often manifests in a particularly insidious way.
We aren’t judged as developers by skillset, conceptual understanding, or collaborative capabilities.
Software developers tend to be rated on their years of experience only. This narrow lens through which their entire professional worth is assessed.
Sure companies might have a different single metric with which to decide your worth. Revolut will interview you depending on which University you attended. Grab will put you through a set of data structures and algorithms to see if you are worthy. Some companies will decide if you pass your probation period depending on your ‘fit’ (i.e. if you go along with their trash).
The point is it is all singular stuff to have opinions on. ”
The tech view of snobbery
Taking any single view of a person is tricky, but it appears that the tech industry has done just that. It’s easier to value the worth of a pig on scales and fail to vary the criteria on whether you would like a succulent dish or a pet, even though the approach is flawed.
“This phenomenon in tech isn’t just annoying; it’s damaging. It fosters an environment where superficial judgments override a comprehensive understanding of a person’s abilities and potential. It’s like assessing the quality of music based on how long the musician has been around. Absurd, right?
Yet, this happens in tech circles all the time.”
The damage
Snobbery like this (perpetuated by programmers) can stifle growth and learning.
“If you’re constantly worried about being judged on a tiny fraction of your work, you’re less likely to take risks, experiment, or step outside your comfort zone.
If you measure an interview candidate wholly on their years of experience you will exclude those with ‘less’ (i.e. mothers, those with illnesses). If you measure tech prowess wholly on data structures and algorithms you will put coders in place who cannot practically solve problems.
Innovation thrives in environments where people feel valued for their comprehensive abilities, not just for a narrow skill set oftentimes derived without much thought.”
The alternative
The way we think as an industry needs to change. The Secret Developer has some quick fixes for this.
“Judging people is all fun and games. We can make people feel small and inconsequential through many of the games we play at work, be it code review or the interview process.
No single line of elegant code can encapsulate a developer’s expertise. No single work experience can represent a person.
We should aim to look at the whole. Managers and mentors should help those less experienced. We can all take up a little of this by being collaborative and communicating well.
Look beyond the surface, beyond the snobbery, to see the true value of our fellow developers and work as a team to help us all. A rising tide lifts all boats, and this should be used to help all developers achieve their potential and create great products.”
Conclusion
“Snobs are bad, and software engineer snobs are the worst. Agree | Disagree? Most in tech don’t care at all.”