The Best ‘Jerk’ in Software Engineering I Ever Knew

Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash

I’ve argued that software developers should be personable and should work with others to get the best outcomes for the team.

“You know what?

I remember a jerk at work who did JUST FINE. 

Let me tell you my experience and why ‘it depends’ rings true for your personality at work, as much as for your coding decisions.”

Communication is key

“I know that readers of this blog will be keen to chime in and tell me that I’m the jerk. Although that may be at times true (and those that trawl through the comments section will find plenty of evidence for this) I should explain that I’m very friendly at work.

However, when things start going wrong (as they have recently) it is true that I communicate less. Part of the reason for this is that I have no idea how to say ‘I’ve nothing to do at all’. This causes me to close up and hide the issues as I become afraid that I’m working in a blame culture.”

A Jerk I’ve Worked With

“There have been a few in my software development career. Here are a couple. 

I remember starting at a company and being unable to set up the dev environment. In our feature team, I had another dev to ask. Their replies typically took 3–4 hours and didn’t solve my problem. The product owner started telling me that ‘tickets don’t seem to be moving’ after 3 days. I lasted two months.” 

The Best Jerk I know

“The other jerk I liked and worked well with. I’ve written how they were fired before but for his jerk behavior I can tell you one thing. They were sticklers for detail and came up with many PR comments during the review. The management didn’t appreciate their efforts, which contributed to their downfall.”

Here are some Jerk traits that can actually help you at work. Caution advised!

• Directness
  Jerks often don’t beat around the bush. This can lead to clear and straightforward communication.

• Confidence
  They usually believe in themselves and their abilities, which can be crucial in decision-making scenarios.

• Assertiveness
  They stand up for what they believe in and aren’t easily swayed by others.

• Resilience
  Often unaffected by others’ opinions, which can help in situations that require thick skin.

• Ambition
  They are often driven and will go to great lengths to achieve their goals.

• Decisiveness
  Quick to make decisions without being paralyzed by over-analysis.

• Risk-taking
  More willing to take bold steps and innovate.

• Persistence
  They don’t give up easily and will push through obstacles.

• Independence
  Less likely to rely on others, leading to self-sufficiency.

• Protection of Boundaries
  They are good at setting and maintaining personal and professional boundaries.

The Secret Developer Has Been A Jerk

”Yes, sure. I’m repeating the too rough code review jerkism. I also behave like a petulant child during Agile ceremonies.

It’s actually amazing to me that I keep on getting away with it. Sure, I dislike what is happening and would fire myself if I could. That doesn’t stop what is happening in reality, and sure it really needs to stop because it’s likely to harm my interview performance when I try to get out of this place!”

Conclusion

“I guess you can get away with being a jerk at work but that’s not what you should aim for. You should aim to be the best version of yourself. For me, that means I’m the best software developer you’ll ever see bar none. 

I’m also better than you at coding. Smarter too. So there is that. “