Introduction
I've been working in the software development industry for over 10 years now. Solving complex problems and building software that is used by many people is still the most fun thing I do. However, I've noticed that there is this misconception that excellence in delivery is less important than strategy and management.
The problem
Everyone needs to progress in their career, develop new skills and increase their salary. For many people, this is only possible by taking on a management or consulting role.
The problem with this is, that people tend to focus on the macro-aspects: newest technologies, latest trends, strategies, consumer experience management, etc. But what's strategy without execution? How much is your new e-commerce strategy worth if you can't deliver on it? Or only deliver a third tier solution?
The underlying dilemma is, that the software development industry is not mature enough to provide enough career opportunities for everyone who is good at delivery. Working on the meta level is seen as more important than the actual doing of the work. The higher up you go, the more meta your work gets, the higher your salary and prestige gets.
At a certain level, managers don't have time to do deal with real problems anymore. They focus on the "bigger picture" and the "strategic" aspects of the business. The problem with that? Micro-work, implementation, craftsmanship is devalued as a result; it is done by the juniors, the lower paid ones. And through this system, everyone strives towards the macro level.
On top of that, this is rewarded with more visibility: All hands meetings almost always soley focus on the macro-aspects of the business. Managament summaries strip out any implementation details.
Real innovation however doesn't come from slide decks and strategy offsites. It is a result of micro-work, implementation, craftsmanship and delivery excellence. By driving everyone towards the macro level, we are not fostering innovation. We don't need more ideas, we need more ideas that are executed with excellence.
The solution
In my opinion we need to change the way we value work. Don't get me wrong: management and strategy are important. They need to create the vision and the direction. But they shouldn't be valued more than delivery excellence.
Let's open up career paths for people who are good at delivery. Let's give them the opportunity to grow and to be valued for their work. And if they are open to pursue a management or consulting career, let's give them the opportunity to do so.
- We need more managers with coding backgrounds, more consultants with delivery expertise.
- We need to value craftsmanship and micro-work.
- We need to stop glorifying management and strategy.
Because we already have too many managers and consultants - not enough delivery excellence.