25+ years as a Software Developer. I'm passionate about process improvement using technology. Let's all work smarter not harder and do more with less.
MY THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN
Developers do not NEED business skills. Are they helpful, yes but not a requirement. And why are people trying to turn developers into jacks of all trades? Soon you will all be taking business courses with that CS degree.
This is where my issue really lies - "There are tons of amazing developers and engineers who write flawless code, but have no business acumen whatsoever. They aren’t able to think critically about the products or features they’re building, which means they can’t effectively communicate their ideas, concerns, etc. with marketers, managers, and stakeholders.
This is a huge missed opportunity for developers who could make themselves indispensable to their teams and employers."
We are steadily downplaying the importance of developers. Developers in my mind are already indispensable and have no problem communicating their ideas to people that understand them.
I do agree with Zac about developers should having those skills. In some scenarios, you may have a point. However, how can a developer negotiate their salary, market their skills or pitch their idea/product if they can't pitch/communicate it to the other party.
25+ years as a Software Developer. I'm passionate about process improvement using technology. Let's all work smarter not harder and do more with less.
MY THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN
"should" - No. "need" - helpful if you want to be more than a developer. We don't do this with any other occupation where we try and turn them into more than they want to be. Why can't developers just be developers? Steve Wozniak who started Apple with Steve Jobs just wanted to do the technical stuff in the background. He let Steve Jobs be the front person. Do you say Steve Wozniak should have had business skills? No. He did just fine without them.
There is another point I would like to make why I disagree. I teach CIS courses and a couple of times I had the pleasure of having students on the autism spectrum in my class. If you were hiring a developer they would not get a job for reasons I will not outline here but they would make good developers.
Ok I agree, "should" perhaps wasn't the right word as developers don't specifically have to create the next Apple (business ideas), however developers do need to have the communication skills and a bit of business acumen to negotiate their salary/market their skills when needed, otherwise, more often than not will end up with a lower salary than they deserve.
Thanks for your response! Perhaps you're right - "NEED" might not be the best word to use. But I'd definitely argue that "SHOULD HAVE" is accurate in terms of business skills.
"We are steadily downplaying the importance of developers. Developers in my mind are already indispensable and have no problem communicating their ideas to people that understand them."
I'm certainly not trying to downplay the importance of developers. Rather, I believe that developers who ALSO have the skills I've outlined are arguably more important to a company or project than developers who don't have those skills. Additionally, I'd argue that developers who "have no problem communicating their ideas to people that understand them" bring much less value to the table than those who can communicate their ideas to people who don't understand them. That to me is what makes a developer truly indispensable.
25+ years as a Software Developer. I'm passionate about process improvement using technology. Let's all work smarter not harder and do more with less.
MY THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN
I agree with your point but my issue is developers being judged on skills that not related to their craft. After becoming a manager I stopped looking for developers to have good communication skills. It's unfair to them. If they do I wonder about their developer skills
I don't agree, but I respect your opinion. I think it's possible (and desirable) for developers to have both good communication/business skills and solid technical skills. I appreciate the conversation Kyle - thanks for engaging!
I think it is a really poor representation and a totally incorrect stereotype, painting developers in social misfit poor communicators characterisation and this is somehow a good indicator of their coding ability!
Code after all, is nothing more than a communication tool. You're conveying complex logic to not only machines but also to other humans who will need to understand and maintain it. If you can't communicate effectively and have the ability to relay this information to others then you're quite simply not going to be an effective team member!
I strongly agree that developers should have an understanding of business, after all our primary goal in most businesses is to automate and drive efficiencies. Having an understanding of the Where, What, Why, When and How to automate specific business tasks is of primary importance to developers.
In most instances, the role of developers and software development teams is centralised around innovation, developing innovative solutions to business problems, Managing Projects, Budgets etc. These are all key business skills.
I have a degree in Economics and Business, yet I classify myself as a Developer because that is what I have primarily done for the past 20 years, prior to that I actually owned a successful business.
I currently have my own business, which primary task is too develop software applications, customers rely on me to provide innovative solutions to business problems, which I wouldn't be able to do if I didn't have an understanding of business.
In my opinion, effective communication skills are of primary importance in any business position, software development is of no exception whatsoever!
As a CTO, Manager or whatever I think you have a key responsibility to promote and nuture effective communication skills. Businesses thrive or fail on communication!
Hey Gary, thanks so much for your thoughtful response! I especially love your point that "Code after all, is nothing more than a communication tool." Spot on.
For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse
We're a place where coders share, stay up-to-date and grow their careers.
Developers do not NEED business skills. Are they helpful, yes but not a requirement. And why are people trying to turn developers into jacks of all trades? Soon you will all be taking business courses with that CS degree.
This is where my issue really lies - "There are tons of amazing developers and engineers who write flawless code, but have no business acumen whatsoever. They aren’t able to think critically about the products or features they’re building, which means they can’t effectively communicate their ideas, concerns, etc. with marketers, managers, and stakeholders.
This is a huge missed opportunity for developers who could make themselves indispensable to their teams and employers."
We are steadily downplaying the importance of developers. Developers in my mind are already indispensable and have no problem communicating their ideas to people that understand them.
Hey Zac and Kyle,
I do agree with Zac about developers should having those skills. In some scenarios, you may have a point. However, how can a developer negotiate their salary, market their skills or pitch their idea/product if they can't pitch/communicate it to the other party.
Solid article Zac.
Great points Malik, and thanks for reading!
"should" - No. "need" - helpful if you want to be more than a developer. We don't do this with any other occupation where we try and turn them into more than they want to be. Why can't developers just be developers? Steve Wozniak who started Apple with Steve Jobs just wanted to do the technical stuff in the background. He let Steve Jobs be the front person. Do you say Steve Wozniak should have had business skills? No. He did just fine without them.
There is another point I would like to make why I disagree. I teach CIS courses and a couple of times I had the pleasure of having students on the autism spectrum in my class. If you were hiring a developer they would not get a job for reasons I will not outline here but they would make good developers.
Ok I agree, "should" perhaps wasn't the right word as developers don't specifically have to create the next Apple (business ideas), however developers do need to have the communication skills and a bit of business acumen to negotiate their salary/market their skills when needed, otherwise, more often than not will end up with a lower salary than they deserve.
Hey Kyle,
Thanks for your response! Perhaps you're right - "NEED" might not be the best word to use. But I'd definitely argue that "SHOULD HAVE" is accurate in terms of business skills.
"We are steadily downplaying the importance of developers. Developers in my mind are already indispensable and have no problem communicating their ideas to people that understand them."
I'm certainly not trying to downplay the importance of developers. Rather, I believe that developers who ALSO have the skills I've outlined are arguably more important to a company or project than developers who don't have those skills. Additionally, I'd argue that developers who "have no problem communicating their ideas to people that understand them" bring much less value to the table than those who can communicate their ideas to people who don't understand them. That to me is what makes a developer truly indispensable.
I agree with your point but my issue is developers being judged on skills that not related to their craft. After becoming a manager I stopped looking for developers to have good communication skills. It's unfair to them. If they do I wonder about their developer skills
I don't agree, but I respect your opinion. I think it's possible (and desirable) for developers to have both good communication/business skills and solid technical skills. I appreciate the conversation Kyle - thanks for engaging!
I strongly agree with Zac on this one.
I think it is a really poor representation and a totally incorrect stereotype, painting developers in social misfit poor communicators characterisation and this is somehow a good indicator of their coding ability!
Code after all, is nothing more than a communication tool. You're conveying complex logic to not only machines but also to other humans who will need to understand and maintain it. If you can't communicate effectively and have the ability to relay this information to others then you're quite simply not going to be an effective team member!
I strongly agree that developers should have an understanding of business, after all our primary goal in most businesses is to automate and drive efficiencies. Having an understanding of the Where, What, Why, When and How to automate specific business tasks is of primary importance to developers.
In most instances, the role of developers and software development teams is centralised around innovation, developing innovative solutions to business problems, Managing Projects, Budgets etc. These are all key business skills.
I have a degree in Economics and Business, yet I classify myself as a Developer because that is what I have primarily done for the past 20 years, prior to that I actually owned a successful business.
I currently have my own business, which primary task is too develop software applications, customers rely on me to provide innovative solutions to business problems, which I wouldn't be able to do if I didn't have an understanding of business.
In my opinion, effective communication skills are of primary importance in any business position, software development is of no exception whatsoever!
As a CTO, Manager or whatever I think you have a key responsibility to promote and nuture effective communication skills. Businesses thrive or fail on communication!
Hey Gary, thanks so much for your thoughtful response! I especially love your point that "Code after all, is nothing more than a communication tool." Spot on.