In this episode we discuss respect in the world of software development, with a particular focus on the relationship between testers and programmers. The question isn’t just, “Do testers get enough respect?” but also, “Are you getting the respect you deserve, and do you deserve it?” The episode challenges individuals to evaluate their own skills, contribution, and attitudes.
Ever feel like you’re not getting the respect that you deserve in your job? This episode dives deep into the Respect in tech, especially focusing on software testing versus programming. We look at why some roles seem to earn more respect, what that means for workplace culture, and how you can change things for yourself and your team. Respect isn’t just about manners or titles - it’s about how the system works and how we show up in our roles.
If you’ve worked in agile projects, you might have heard, “Everyone is a developer.” But some roles seem to get more recognition than others. Is this because of how we define our jobs, or is it just baked into the way our workplaces run? This episode is a call to action, urging everyone to look at respect both at a personal, process and craft level.
We’re breaking down the difference between self-respect, respect for others, and respect built into your team’s process. You’ll see why just doing your job isn’t enough. You have to own your craft, communicate what you do, and make your contributions visible to earn genuine respect. By the end of this episode, you’ll have practical steps to make respect part of your daily work, whether you’re writing code, testing, building products, or managing.
Episode Summary
We shared insights from working on agile teams, where everyone is supposed to be seen as ‘developers’. But in practice, hierarchies pop up, with programmers often getting more respect than testers or product roles. The host argues that respect is a complex mix: it comes from individual skills, how well you integrate with the process, and how visible and valuable your output is.
If you don’t see value in your role, improvement is near impossible. Respect starts from within, and only then can you genuinely offer respect to your peers. This isn’t just a feel-good statement, the episode offers actionable advice: make your work visible, advocate for process improvement, pair up on tasks, and always keep learning.
The podcast also explores respect at multiple levels: the craft itself, the skills you bring, and respect for the person. The episode describes veneration as a kind of misplaced awe for work you don’t understand, and why that’s not real respect.
With the rise of AI, roles like programming might become less mysterious, changing how people view and respect them.
Finally, there’s a real-world look at dysfunctional organizations. Respect can be drowned out by fear, power plays, and closed processes. Still, the host insists you can make a difference at your touch-points: knowledge sharing, pairing, and fostering visibility.
Build self-respect, respect your craft, and model peer-to-peer respect every day.
Outline
00:00 – Respect Dilemma
The episode kicks off questioning whether testers get the respect they’re due, or whether programmers get more because their role is seen as more valuable or mysterious. The host points out that not getting respect might mean you have to level up your skills or make your work clearer to others. It’s not just about demanding respect; it’s about doing work that merits it.
02:41 – Human Level Respect
Respect isn’t just about roles, it’s about understanding and appreciating what each person brings to the team. The host shares that, on agile teams, the idea that “everyone is a developer” quickly breaks down when programmers get more recognition than testing or product roles. Respect should happen between people, not only between roles.
06:31 – Self-Respect First
If you don’t respect your own work, you can’t expect others to. The episode unpacks the concept of self-respect, challenging listeners to evaluate their skills, growth, and own contributions. There’s advice on how to build true self-respect: keep learning, share your skills, and don’t settle for routines that don’t work and don’t challenge you. Recognizing the value of what you do is the starting point for earning respect.
10:17 – Respect Cycle
You respect your craft, your peers respect you, and you respect them back. This creates a healthy team dynamic, with everyone functioning as equals, rather than building hierarchies or silos. The host explains how roles should be seen as complementary, with each one necessary for the team’s success, feeding into improvement and renewal.
15:37 – Knowledge Sharing
Knowledge sharing is called out as one of the most powerful drivers of respect in teams. The host stresses that sharing what you know builds trust and exposes the complexity behind roles that might otherwise seem simple. It also invites collaboration, helping people step into each other’s shoes. Escape rooms and team pairings are light-hearted but meaningful ways to see one another’s strengths.
18:53 – Respectful Organizations
Not all organizations foster respect. Some rely more on fear and command-and-control than genuine appreciation. The host dives into what a respectful culture looks like: leaders who model right behavior, open processes, and team members who feel safe to raise issues. Even in less ideal places, you can foster respect in your sphere by building solid relationships and pushing for honesty in process issues.
21:26 – Final Thoughts
The episode closes with the core advice: build self-respect, model it, and offer respect to others as peers. Respect isn’t about elevating someone else above yourself, it’s about recognizing everyone’s value, including your own. When you do this, you help shape a culture and a process where respect is sticky, even if leadership is lacking.
Key Takeaways
- Respect in software teams isn’t automatic. It’s influenced by systems, visibility, and personal ownership.
- Self-respect is the foundation for earning and giving respect to others in the workplace.
- Knowledge sharing and pairing are powerful tools for building respect among team members.
- Hierarchies based on fear and power undermine genuine respect and teamwork.
- AI may change how people view and respect software roles, making process visibility and contribution even more critical.
Quotes
“You might not be getting respect because you don’t deserve it. So we need to look at that. We need to make sure that we are capable of doing the role well and selling it properly so that we get respect.”
“Respect happens at a human level. When we see the value that each individual brings and we honor and respect that in our environment.”
“You have to start from a point of ‘I have a craft that is worthy of respect, I have a set of skills that are worthy of respect and I know why they are worthy’.”
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