There have been a number of posts recently about software estimates, including an emerging hashtag #noestimates. I'd say that developers do pretty clearly pref

There have been a number of posts recently about software estimates, including an emerging hashtag #noestimates. I'd say that developers do pretty clearly prefer working in an environment where they aren't required to provide estimates and meet arbitrary deadlines (nobody likes hard deadlines either, but there's a difference between a window to launch a rocket to study halley's comet and a manager who figured that saying "march" rather than "may" might get the team to work a little harder). This does't mean that developers don't like to work hard or produce good work, I think they just greatly prefer to take on a task, work diligently at it, and show progress rather than be pressed for estimates based on limited knowledge that quickly morph into hard deadlines before the problem is adequately understood. Yeah, I'm stating the obvious. But thing is, it isn't a complete pipe dream. I do know developers who have quite a bit of autonomy. While the do have to answer for what they've been up to, they develop software and show the value of that software. They don't take specs, give estimates which become deadlines, and get reviewed based on how well they met those deadlines. It's all about aspirations. I have a few for myself. I'd like to get to the point in my career where my interview focuses more on my existing work and contributions (github, blogs, speaking at conferences) rather than my performance on finding cycles in linked lists at the whiteboard. I'd like to work in a quiet office (happily shared) with a door that closes rather than a loud, open office with back visibility. And yeah, now I can add in that I'd like an environment where I can work steadily on a challenging problem and be evaluated by what I have accomplished. Just to be clear, nobody owes me a job on my terms, I have to earn it. But, ahem, the loudest people in our industry seem to be the ones who think the world owes them a talented developer on their terms. If you're having trouble attracting and/or retaining talent, you might want to consider how developers like to work...