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Let me see if I understand the author's definition... in this essay he's equating "better at programming" to mean being better at management topics such as: -

by jasode 9y ago

Let me see if I understand the author's definition... in this essay he's equating "better at programming" to mean being better at management topics such as: - SDL (software development lifecyle) - technical debt - documentation - shipping mindset (e.g. "real artists ship") However, if his Lily programming language is a personal pet project, are all those management disciplines applicable? For many of us, pet projects are there to explore new knowledge of programming ideas. It's an intellectual exercise and not a management one. It's the projects at work that require discipline of meeting deadlines and reducing the backlog of defect reports. 15 years ago, I started a "music CD database" project to catalog all of my discs. I fiddled around with creating some database tables and some prototype GUI screens. A bunch of other unrelated things in life got in the way of working on it. These days, there's Spotify & iTunes which means my pet CD project will always be "unfinished" and neglected. As a result, I can write 2 different essays: 1) My abandoned CD project proves I am a worse programmer, or 2) My CD project was interesting to me at that stage in my life but since I've moved on

philipov 9y ago
1) A lot of the most valuable things I learn on my personal projects are how to be better at those programming management topics (and don't forget automated testing and reproducible research), because becoming better at managing my own projects creates a multiplier effect on everything I do. 2) By becoming a better manager, you reduce the friction involved in achieving your goals, and with less resistance to action, you are less likely to have your life interfere with getting things done. 3) For example, unit tests and documentation let you come back to a project after a long break and easily pick up again where you left off. Without them, it might require too much effort to get back into it, and poof no more project.
BaronSamedi 9y ago
I wouldn't call these "management" topics. I would call these the difference between a professional developer and a mere coder.

by jasode 9y ago

philipov 9y ago

1) A lot of the most valuable things I learn on my personal projects are how to be better at those programming management topics (and don't forget automated testing and reproducible research), because becoming better at managing my own projects creates a multiplier effect on everything I do. 2) By becoming a better manager, you reduce the friction involved in achieving your goals, and with less resistance to action, you are less likely to have your life interfere with getting things done. 3) For example, unit tests and documentation let you come back to a project after a long break and easily pick up again where you left off. Without them, it might require too much effort to get back into it, and poof no more project.

BaronSamedi 9y ago

I wouldn't call these "management" topics. I would call these the difference between a professional developer and a mere coder.