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This sounds like a huge self-rationalization to me. While there have been great leaders who don't know how to code, comparing it to a designer knowing how to mi
by oceanplexian 5y ago
This sounds like a huge self-rationalization to me. While there have been great leaders who don't know how to code, comparing it to a designer knowing how to mix cement is a terrible analogy. Coding is a fundamental skill in the 21st century, like writing or being able to do basic arithmetic. It's not like asking a designer to rivet girders, it's like expecting a designer to know geometry. Coding is simply a bunch of logical constructs expressed in a way that can be translated into machine code.
Imagine hiring a CTO that didn't know how to read and write. In the 21st century, where almost every aspect our lives is dependent on computers, having some knowledge of software engineering should be considered a basic skill.
- MarkSweep 5y agoMaybe a better example is a robotics company. Besides software engineers, you will have electrical engineers and mechanical engineers. You may also have systems engineers, controls engineers, reliability engineers, and application engineers. It is unrealistic to expect the CTO to have strong experience with every engineering discipline. Though if it a pure software company, I can see wanting the CTO to have a strong background with software.
- jbay808 5y agoElectrical and mechanical engineers should also be competent with coding, even if it's just Arduino, Python, or (ugh) matlab. Whether that's to automate some SPICE simulation or data processing task, optimize some design parameters, or something similar, it's part of almost every modern engineer's education across disciplines. Electrical engineers in particular will also typically have experience with C or C++, for writing firmware.
- FpUser 5y agoI was a physicist. The only reason I started to code was that I needed to automate control of some scientific equipment and process data. So yes I assume many professions can benefit from at least basic coding skills. When I came to Canada I soon have discovered that unless I am an Einstein I will never make decent money in science. So my side skill /tool suddenly turned into full-time money making "hobby".
- b20000 5y agoso are doing surgery and lawyering also essential skills then? what about underwater welding? we should teach kids that skill too from early on, it’s super important everyone can do that too, since you expect everyone to know how to write software.
- doovd 5y agoWhat a weird response. Almost all STEM degrees require candidates to write code these days, so coding is far more accessible than underwater welding.
- b20000 5y agoSTEM degrees require people to write code because it helps sell people on the degrees. parents are hoping their kid will be the next zuckerberg. that does not mean that this is right, and that this is what society needs. another reason why this idea that everyone needs to code is promoted, is that companies need cheap labor. so the more code monkeys are churned out the cheaper it is to build software. so just forget about this idealistic idea. it’s not what you think it is.
- jollybean 5y ago"like writing or being able to do basic arithmetic." It really is not. The vast majority of people will never have need to 'code'a line of anything, even in the modern workforce. More common, yes, ubiquitous, no. If there are >25 Engineers, the CTO generally won't be coding in production unless they kind of have a very special passion for it. I do believe however that the CTO should be technical, unlike some examples here. When the are not I feel it's political, for better or for worse.