Wednesday, June 03, 2009
How to survive as a developer in a corporate environment
Wouldn't it be cool if software development in a corporate environment had all of the below characteristics?
Reality is more like:
So, if this sounds like your world, consider:
| | View blog reactions- good equipment
- quiet, focused team rooms with a few developers who are all on the same project
- freedom to use whatever tools we wanted
- agile processes
- everyone is a developer (even the bosses)
- clear requirements with real scope
- enthusiastic, passionate people who are really onto it
Reality is more like:
- Constant interruptions
- loud open-plan cubicle environment
- slow equipment
- heavy, burdensome process (even though they call it "agile")
- restrictive IT environment
- slow, overly complicated, limited tools
- vague requirements. No one seems to know what is going on
- cynical teams. Mix of average and mediocre client contacts to rely on
So, if this sounds like your world, consider:
- Focus only on what's your responsibility, and do that as perfectly as the situation allows
- Find a person who has both power and understanding, and politely suggest improvements to them
- Ask questions to clarify the requirements; it's annoying, but you might annoy them into doing better
- Get headphones
- Look for a different job, so you can feel like you're not locked into this forever
