3 ms·

Maybe I missed it, but what does the author even mean when they say "understanding people", and what is it that devs don't "understand"? What I tend to see is

Maybe I missed it, but what does the author even mean when they say "understanding people", and what is it that devs don't "understand"? What I tend to see is junior devs having inappropriate levels of confidence (either too high or too low) and their superiors taking advantage of it for their own gain. Is that what we're talking about? Because otherwise I don't see social awkwardness, but fear being mistaken for "passion". The majority of the time a dev wants to talk technical details is because they want validation or expect a certain level of input from the rest of the team, especially leadership. It's perfectly reasonable for such a person to become frustrated when that doesn't happen. This isn't a lack of understanding from the dev, but maybe a lack of communication and a few naive assumptions on their part.

mobjack 4y ago
It is understanding that leadership doesn't care about the technical details. Devs are expected to figure out these details on their own. Instead try to understand what others really care about and frame the discussions around that.
- sublinear 4y ago
  Technical details are not always irrelevant nor mere implementation. They are often critical to the success of a product. It's like refusing to order from a menu at a restaurant and instead shouting "I WANT FOOD!" in a vain attempt to hide illiteracy. "Oh what kind of food, sir?" "GOOD FOOD! HOW DARE YOU ASK ME THAT!" "Would you prefer a picture menu, sir?" "...yes" So, better off talking to the product manager who just orders hamburgers for them. Of course that just drives a wedge between devs and leadership even further and erodes trust. No wonder devs job hop. No wonder every product is so mediocre. There's no escaping the fact that the days of non-technical leadership are numbered. Conversation should never be one way regardless of the hierarchy within a business. Such is the dysfunction of today's leadership.
- karmakaze 4y ago
  This sounds like telling devs to 'manage up' which is shorter/searchable. I think that's good advice for more sr devs but juniors are still working out how to solve problems as stated and understood with their tech at-hand. Having this extra layer would probably be too much to deal with all together.

mobjack 4y ago

It is understanding that leadership doesn't care about the technical details. Devs are expected to figure out these details on their own. Instead try to understand what others really care about and frame the discussions around that.

sublinear 4y ago
Technical details are not always irrelevant nor mere implementation. They are often critical to the success of a product. It's like refusing to order from a menu at a restaurant and instead shouting "I WANT FOOD!" in a vain attempt to hide illiteracy. "Oh what kind of food, sir?" "GOOD FOOD! HOW DARE YOU ASK ME THAT!" "Would you prefer a picture menu, sir?" "...yes" So, better off talking to the product manager who just orders hamburgers for them. Of course that just drives a wedge between devs and leadership even further and erodes trust. No wonder devs job hop. No wonder every product is so mediocre. There's no escaping the fact that the days of non-technical leadership are numbered. Conversation should never be one way regardless of the hierarchy within a business. Such is the dysfunction of today's leadership.
karmakaze 4y ago
This sounds like telling devs to 'manage up' which is shorter/searchable. I think that's good advice for more sr devs but juniors are still working out how to solve problems as stated and understood with their tech at-hand. Having this extra layer would probably be too much to deal with all together.