I think the greatest thing about older developers is that they understand bureaucracy and office politics. The truth is that there's more to being a great devel

I think the greatest thing about older developers is that they understand bureaucracy and office politics. The truth is that there's more to being a great developer than just writing code with your headphones on. Some of my bigger productivity gains have been from learning how to hustle in the office. That said, I'm still pretty young and I feel I have a considerable amount to learn, both technically and professionally. As an example, during my first year out of college, I often found myself waiting upwards of a week for someone else to get me something I needed to complete one of my tasks. I didn't know the right way to prod a coworker--or in this case, actually, boss--to get you what you need so you can get stuff done. Examples like that abound.