I think you're missing the point. He's not saying that developers want to be thrilled to death every minute of their careers. He's saying that developers want

I think you're missing the point. He's not saying that developers want to be thrilled to death every minute of their careers. He's saying that developers want autonomy and the ability to make something cool. The problem is that all but the very best managers seem to assume that management letting up on the reins means people going crazy and wreaking havoc. The best managers understand that management is mostly a two-step process: 1. Give someone a task. 2. Let them accomplish that task. Granted, you can't always work that way. But you might be surprised at what proper motivation can do. People will do boring work if it means accomplishing something great.