We talk about so many things like automated testing and test first development, but there are so many issues with them… Like how do we do automated testing in the web environment.
How do I prove my prowess as a good developer? In such an environment. By writing code the same way that everyone does?
What is a good developer anyway? Intellectual skills? Presence of mind? IQ? More long term and short term Memory? Discipline? Knowledge? Attitude to learn and implement? Willing to run that extra mile to make things better holistically?
Perhaps a good developer is the one who under all the constraints, like a slow VPC environment, lack of enough memory, lack of an automated testing framework, traditional approach towards development, lack of a modern and open outlook on the part of developers, etc, makes the best of the situation by using everything that was mentioned above.
When you go to meetings, you should be able to say yes to most of the things. Like, " Yes that can be done", "Yes we can change that", "Yes that's an easy thing to be done"
I also think it is very important for a developer to stick to one project for some time. The initial part of the project he learns. About the project, about the environment, about the performance, architecture, design and about the team members' attitudes. Once he has gained that knowledge, he becomes a subject matter expert. And by subject I mean all the things mentioned above and not some tool or technology. Then he can really start thinking as to how he can make things better.
Once the developer has added enough value to the project, he can decide to move on into a different domain or project.
And that he must… because we as developers, I think, should build our careers more like huge Pyramids rather than tall and slender towers.
