Hey Developer. Can you deliver this new feature as soon as possible? This is urgent, the client needs it for a release next week. Can we estimate the time needed to implement it? Well, 10 days is so much time to deliver this, we need it before next week, let's make them 2 days and deliver, then we fix any issues that would appear. This is the fourth day and you didn't deliver the feature yet, this's unacceptable! if you have any blockers tell me to coordinate. So, your code is not working, we can't deliver the client this piece of (code), please fix these high defects before delivering.
So, this short story isn't sounding strange for most of us. It's the movie that we watch daily day and night with some extra scenes that we didn't mention here like 'Did you finish anything? Any progress? Can you manage to fix these chunk of 50 defects since the last sprint in parallel while delivering the feature? Did you finish, ha? ha? ha? ha.......'
So, the client is pushing, the manager then pushes, then PM pushes, TL pushes, and you -the developer-, the weakest part of the chain that is trying to find someone below him to push anything but cannot find. You only have the right to push your code to the repo, and nothing else.
Actually, if we think wisely in the return of all of this, we will find a feature that is delivered by the end. This's awesome by sure, but the beast actually is waiting for you by the end of the tunnel to attack and kill, believe me, I've seen him multiple times before.
While a feature is really implemented, an exhausted developer is there that his next jobs will be delivered slower or He will be divorced because of destroying his work-life balance.
It's not only about the developer life that we don't care about it, if He committed suicide we'll bring another one, but also about the product that has been delivered. Good developer, when writing the code, He writes it not only for the client but also for the developer that will come after him to complete the journey to enhance a feature, fix defects, or even implementing new features. All of these needs a readable, organized and good code to be achieved. You don't put in your mind the time will be wasted for the next developer to read these scattered pieces of code to just fix a small defect that blocks the whole application.
"Good Developer" is not about the developer only, it's about the whole process, environment, and people around him. Don't think about the short term of "Delivering a Feature", but think in a strategy that will keep your developer working good while your code looking code, so that, in anytime the developer disappeared, another one can complete the race, or you will lose it.
The beast is out there, at the end of the tunnel. Avoid it.
Read This Article on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/good-developer-series-1-mohammed-elnekhaly/
Read This Article on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/good-developer-series-1-mohammed-elnekhaly/
