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Those two comments perfectly describe the issue IMO. That also means that activating good developers to be 10x people means they need to be given leverage and f

Those two comments perfectly describe the issue IMO. That also means that activating good developers to be 10x people means they need to be given leverage and freedom to automate, innovate and be creative. And maybe also ownership of the product they create - e.g. shares or simply a special kind of recognition. I also see the problem with 10x developers - they are by definition irreplaceable which is impossible to manage properly. But for startups which have a small head-count, this may be needed.

perl4ever 7y ago
We don't observe people removing all barriers for special programmers and letting them do whatever they want, which might be evidence it doesn't work. Could it be because a complex system or project tends to be limited by its slowest/least productive necessary component?
- mockingbirdy 7y ago
  I think the leadership component is very relevant here. A project manager / leader needs to be able to a) identify developers who could be 10x developers, b) develop their characters (some developers may be lazy or undisciplined or have anxieties that hold them back, so this needs to be solved first), c) recognize good technical skills and realistic self-evaluation (a developer that always wants a rewrite because he's certain that he will do it better than everyone before him vs. someone who tries to find a more reasonable way that may involve a rewrite). Overall, this is a very difficult task. If you let developers that have undeveloped characters manage themselves, they'll create a huge mess. And personal development is generally a very difficult task and not something that a leader can control for most parts.
- repolfx 7y ago
  I'd say we do see that. It's the business model of Sand Hill Road - find talented 10x Devs and shower them with VC money. It seems to work often enough that there are many funds all searching for such people.

perl4ever 7y ago

We don't observe people removing all barriers for special programmers and letting them do whatever they want, which might be evidence it doesn't work. Could it be because a complex system or project tends to be limited by its slowest/least productive necessary component?

mockingbirdy 7y ago
I think the leadership component is very relevant here. A project manager / leader needs to be able to a) identify developers who could be 10x developers, b) develop their characters (some developers may be lazy or undisciplined or have anxieties that hold them back, so this needs to be solved first), c) recognize good technical skills and realistic self-evaluation (a developer that always wants a rewrite because he's certain that he will do it better than everyone before him vs. someone who tries to find a more reasonable way that may involve a rewrite). Overall, this is a very difficult task. If you let developers that have undeveloped characters manage themselves, they'll create a huge mess. And personal development is generally a very difficult task and not something that a leader can control for most parts.
repolfx 7y ago
I'd say we do see that. It's the business model of Sand Hill Road - find talented 10x Devs and shower them with VC money. It seems to work often enough that there are many funds all searching for such people.